South Korea’s top court permanently removes president Park from office

South Korea’s Constitutional Court has upheld a parliamentary impeachment vote against president Park Geun-hye, permanently removing her from office.

In a historic, unanimous ruling on Friday, the Constitutional Court’s eight-member panel upheld the parliament’s December 9, 2016 vote to impeach the president, describing her actions in a graft scandal as “a serious and unacceptable violation of the laws.”

Park’s actions “seriously impaired the spirit of representative democracy and the rule of law,” said Constitutional Court Chief Justice Lee Jung-mi. “President Park Geun-Hye… has been dismissed.”

The court said Park leaked documents containing confidential state information to her friend, Choi Soon-sil, in breach of a rule on securing official secrets and violated the law by allowing Choi to meddle in state affairs.

The country’s first female president was accused of colluding with Choi and a former presidential aide — both of whom have been on trial — to extort money from big companies.

The court said Park had “concealed completely Choi’s meddling in state affairs and denied it whenever suspicions over the act emerged and even criticized those who raised the suspicions.”

She was also accused of making improper demands or receiving illicit requests from Samsung Group.

Park, who has apologized for the impact of the scandal, has nevertheless denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

She had been stripped of her executive powers since the parliamentary impeachment last December but had retained her title and presidential residence pending the Constitutional Court ruling.