South Korean President Park Geun-hye ousted by court for graft

The South Korean Constitutional Court unanimously upheld the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye on Friday, removing her from office after a 92-day leadership crisis and triggering a presidential election in the weeks to come.

The ruling, which was announced by the court's acting chief and televised live, made Park the nation's first democratically elected leader to be ousted, Yonhap news agency reported.

Park, the 65-year-old daughter of a former President, was impeached by Parliament on December 9 over a corruption and influence-peddling scandal centred on her close friend.

The court's decision strips Park of her immunity from criminal prosecution, which will force her to undergo interrogation by prosecutors over her alleged crime.

Park's supporters and detractors rallied outside the court and in nearby Gwanghwamun Square. The demonstrations turned violent after the court ruling and two pro-Park protesters died from their injuries while several others were wounded, the police said.

"The negative effects of the President's actions and their repercussions are grave, and the benefits to defending the Constitution by removing her from office are overwhelmingly large," Acting Chief Justice Lee Jung-mi said in the ruling.

The National Assembly accused Park of letting her friend Choi Soon-sil meddle in state affairs, colluding with her to extort money from conglomerates, and neglecting her duties during a 2014 ferry sinking that killed over 300.

Choi, who had no post in the government and no security clearance, allegedly edited drafts of Park's speeches, received classified documents from the presidential office, and recommended the appointments of senior government officials, according to the report.

The court acknowledged the illegality of Park's actions in letting Choi Soon-sil handle state affairs. It dismissed the other charges, such as her abuse of power in dismissing government officials, citing a lack of evidence.

In the ruling, the court accused Park of "thoroughly hiding" Choi's involvement in government affairs.

Park abused her power to help her friend of 40 years establish foundations and "continuously" violated the law and the Constitution throughout her term, it said. The foundations were allegedly used to collect "donations" from conglomerates, including Samsung Group.

"The President's violations of the Constitution and the law amount to a betrayal of the people's trust and are grave actions that cannot be tolerated from the perspective of defending the Constitution," Lee said.

By law, South Korea is required to hold an election to pick Park's successor within 60 days, and most expect it to take place on May 9, according to Yonhap.

Meanwhile, Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn took steps to restore order in the wake of the highly-charged scandal.

He held a meeting and instructed ministers to ensure the stable management of state affairs, prevent further social divisions and make preparations for the upcoming presidential vote.

In an address to to the nation, Hwang made an emphatic appeal for national unity. Park's Liberty Korea Party apologised to the nation as it accepted the court's decision.

The minor People's Party called the court's decision a victory by the people, while the Bareun Party, which spun off from the Liberty Korea Party in the wake of the scandal, called on political circles to accept the ruling for the sake of national unity.

The US also reacted to the news, saying it will continue to be a "steadfast ally" of South Korea and "look forward to a productive relationship with whomever the people of South Korea elect to be their next President".

Park's supporters and detractors rallied outside the court and in nearby Gwanghwamun Square. The demonstrations turned violent after the court ruling and two pro-Park protesters died from their injuries while several others were wounded, the police said.