S.Korea impeached president formally ousted by Constitutional

South Korea's Constitutional Court unanimously upheld the December impeachment of President Park Guen Hye on 10th March over a massive influence-peddling scandal, Yonhap News Agency reported on Friday.

Park's "acts of violating the constitution and law are a betrayal of the public trust," acting Chief Justice Lee Jung-mi said while delivering the ruling. "The benefits of protecting the constitution that can be earned by dismissing the defendant are overwhelmingly big. Hereupon, in a unanimous decision by the court panel, we issue a verdict: We dismiss the defendant, President Park Geun-hye."

The ruling follows months of political drama and corruption probes that have shaken the country's political class, bureaucracy and large conglomerates, including Samsung Group.

Park has now been stripped of all powers of the office, and she will lose immunity from criminal prosecution.

A new presidential election now must be held within 60 days, with the vote expected to take place before 9th May, Yonhap said.

Park was impeached by parliament on 9th December on charges of letting longtime confidante and private citizen Choi Soon-sil meddle in state affairs, and receive and look at documents with state secrets, colluding with her to extort money from conglomerates, and neglecting her duties during a 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300