South Korean court to mull impeachment, ruling party split
Court has up to 180 days to decide on fate of suspended President Park Geun-Hye on charges ranging from bribery to abuse of power
South Korea’s Constitutional Court will on Thursday start hearings into whether to confirm the impeachment of President Park Geun-Hye, with her ruling conservative party deeply split on the issue before a likely fresh election. The court has up to 180 days to decide whether to uphold or reject parliament’s impeachment of the country’s first female president on charges ranging from bribery to abuse of power. Park has been suspended from her duties since the impeachment vote on December 9, with the prime minister taking over. If the judges back impeachment after hearing from both sides, she will be formally ousted and a presidential election held within 60 days. But any split in the Saenuri Party would drastically reduce its chances in such a poll. More than 30 Saenuri law makers who have been at odds with Park have vowed to leave, arguing that the party’s current leadership refuses to embrace reforms despite the corruption scandal and impeachment crisis. "We’ve reached a conclusion t...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.