The South Korean National Assembly on Friday voted in favor of the motion to impeach President Park Geun-hye for disgracing the state authority through illicit power abuse, making her the second Korean president to face legislative action to be forced out of office.

The motion that required at least 200 votes from the 300-member legislative was passed with 234 votes favoring impeachment versus 56 oppositions and two abstained. Seven votes were disqualified in the secret ballot that had been participated by 299 members. Opposition lawmakers and independents that vowed to stake their seats to see through the impeachment numbered 172 seats, which means the rest had come from the ruling Saenuri Party that occupies 128 seats.

Park immediately would lose her constitutional right and authority bestowed on presidency. She would be able to retain her title and occupy the Blue House until the Constitutional Court over the next six month deliberates whether to ratify the impeachment and officially end her presidency. In the meanwhile, all her formal roles would be handed over to Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn who would serve as the acting chief executive of the country until the legislative names another candidate.

“I humbly accept the voices of the legislature and people,” she said presiding what would be her last cabinet meeting following the vote. She promised to respond “calmly” to the Constitution Court judgment and special investigation.

The markets remained more or less calm as they largely expected the impeachment to pass and the vote took place after their closing. The Korean Composite Stock Price Index ended Friday at 2,024.69 points, down 0.31 percent or 6.38 points from the previous session while dollar rose 0.34 percent to 1,102.50 won.

Unlike the 2004 case where the conservative opposition’s railroading of impeachment against liberal President Roh Moo-hyun for alleged breach of political neutrality that was overturned by the Constitutional Court, the legislative campaign to force out Park has been more driven by public forces outraged by the president who had betrayed the people and Constitution through illicit power-sharing with her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil.

People across the nation have been pouring out the streets every Saturday for nonviolent candlelight vigils for the last six weeks, with the last assembly in the downtown Seoul pulling in more than 2 million people. Approval rating for Park hit a fresh low of 4 percent, and a recent poll showed 81 percent in support for the impeachment.

Choi, presidential aides, and business accomplices were indicted for abusing public power, meddling in state affairs, and strong-arming companies to cough out donations to questionable foundations created by Choi. Park was named as a prime suspect to the criminal cases and faces investigation by special team led by an independent counsel after she refused to accept the findings of the state prosecution.

The Constitutional Court has 180 days to deliberate the case, and it took 62 days to hand over a ruling on Roh’s impeachment in 2004. It would likely to speed up the process, given the political insecurity and various difficulties the country is in.

The legislative is expected to agree on a nonpartisan choice for the prime minister who would be acting as the leader for the country until the snap presidential election is scheduled. The new prime minister will likely reorganize the cabinet as the main opposition party argued the impeachment vote was more or less a vote of no-confidence for the entire Park cabinet.

By Shin Heon-cheol

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]