South Korean lawmakers vote to impeach President Park Geun-hye
SEOUL — South Korea's parliament voted overwhelmingly to impeach President Park Geun-hye on Friday after a huge political scandal involving a childhood friend and confidant left her isolated and loathed.
For more than a month, hundreds of thousands of South Koreans have spilled onto the streets each Saturday to protest Park's relationship with Choi Soon-sil who is accused of massive influence peddling.
Prosecutors say the 64-year-old colluded in Choi's criminal activities to manipulate government affairs and extort businesses. Choi is the daughter of late cult leader Choi Tae-min, who himself befriended Park as a young woman after saying her assassinated mother had appeared in his dreams.
The allegations have plunged the world's 11th biggest economy into an unprecedented crisis and exposed a series of bizarre revelations — including the mass government purchase of erectile dysfunction medication, Viagra.
While Friday's vote count was 234 for the motion and 56 against with nine abstained or nullified, the next steps were not immediately clear. Parliament's decision needs to be deliberated by the country's constitutional court, which could take up to 180 days.
RELATED: President Park Geun-Hye approval rating in South Korea
However, it is expected Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn will immediately take over Park's responsibilities once she is officially stripped of her presidential powers at around 7 p.m. (5 a.m. ET).
President Park responded Friday's developments during a nationally televised cabinet meeting, saying she was sorry for having "caused so much chaos at the national level due to my lack of virtue and my mistakes."
"I honestly accept the voices of the parliament and the people very gravely and sincerely hope that the current chaos will be resolved," she said. "I will be calmly responding to the impeachment course."
Park, who has immunity from prosecution in the case as long as she remains in office, has denied wrongdoing but acknowledged carelessness in her ties with her friend, who has already been indicted.
RELATED: South Korean parliamentary vote for impeachment
Nam Jung-su, a spokesman for the Emergency People's Alliance to Oust Park Geun-hye, which was organizing the weekly protests of millions that have shaken the country, called for Park to step down immediately.
"This is what the people wanted and this is what the power of people has achieved, not the opposition politicians," he said.
"Now there is no more excuse for the president to sit there at the presidential office anymore and we want the president to step down right away. We also want her cabinet to resign right away," Nam said, promising that his group was organizing another demonstration for Friday night.
RELATED: Brazil impeachment -- demonstrations and protests
