MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, the South Korean parliament voted to impeach Park over the ongoing political scandal. Following the vote, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn assumed the leadership until the Constitutional Court decides whether to uphold the motion.
"We have reached an agreement that this impeachment is an extremely significant case that requires prompt progress. The court will hold more meetings down the road considering the gravity of the issue and form a task force of researchers to examine how to approach the case," the court’s spokesman, Bae Bo-yoon, was quoted as saying by the Yonhap news agency.
It could take up to six months for the court to examine the case before making its final decision on Park’s faith. Should the court confirm president’s impeachment, South Korea will have to hold elections within two months.
Political scandal around the president broke out in late October when media reported that Park allowed Choi Soon-sil, her friend and "shadow adviser," who held no official post, to edit her speeches thus letting her influence the country's policy. Moreover, Choi was suspected of pressuring South Korean big corporations and extorting money from them for her non-commercial funds.
