South Korea’s impeached president not leaving presidential Blue House ‘for now’

mpeached South Korean leader Park Geun-hye will not leave the presidential Blue House residence on Friday, her spokesman said following a constitutional court verdict earlier in the day to uphold a parliamentary motion to remove her from office.
"For now, Park is not leaving the Blue House today," Blue House spokesman Kim Dong Jo told Reuters.
Ms Park has a private residence in a neighbourhood called Samseong-dong, in the affluent Gangnam district of the capital, Seoul, and the spokesman said earlier she would be going there, when she leaves the Blue House.
"No plans have been made for her departure. Due to security reasons, she cannot go back to her house in Samseong-dong," Mr Kim said.
A South Korean court unanimously affirmed parliament’s impeachment of Ms Park, removing her from office and opening the door for her to face jail in one of the most stunning political downfalls in the nation’s history
Friday’s ruling means Park must leave the presidential residence in Seoul, where she had plotted her defence since legislators impeached her in December amid a corruption probe. It triggers an election that must be held within 60 days, with opposition figures leading in polls.
Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn plans to address the nation at 5:00pm local time, YTN news reported. Park plans to stay at the official residence on Friday, Yonhap News reported.
The decision brings South Korea closer to moving past one of its most turbulent periods in decades, in which millions of people rallied to demand a corruption investigation into some of the country’s most powerful business and political leaders. Prosecutors have indicted about 40 people so far, including the heir apparent to Samsung Electronics Co., Jay Y. Lee.
Park’s removal could allow South Korean policymakers to focus more on a slowing economy, tensions with North Korea and economic retaliation from China over a plan to deploy the Thaad missile-defence system. The leading candidates to replace her also favour moves to break up family-run conglomerates that have dominated Asia’s fourth-biggest economy for decades.
"History is moving forward with the great power of the people," presidential front-runner Moon Jae-in said. "The Republic of Korea will now restart upon this new and amazing experience."vAfter the decision, acting president Hwang put the military on heightened alert. A commentary in China’s official Xinhua News Agency called on Park’s successor to repair ties with Beijing and "find ways to neutralise Thaad’s security threats against China." US state department spokesman Mark Toner said Park’s removal would have no effect on ties.
The decision strips Park of the immunity from prosecution she enjoyed while in office. Prosecutors have been investigating allegations that Park pressured top business executives, including Samsung’s Lee, to donate tens of millions of dollars to foundations run by her friend Choi Soon-sil in return for government favours. The trial for Lee, who has denied any wrongdoing, started on Thursday.
"She has betrayed the trust of the people," acting court president Lee Jung-mi said in her ruling on Park’s impeachment. The president committed a "grave" violation of the law by leaking classified documents to Choi.
Clashes erupted between hundreds of Park supporters and opponents near the court after the decision. Yonhap reported at least two deaths, including a 72-year-old man. Police in riot gear used buses to contain the demonstrations, and erected barriers in front of the presidential compound.
"Our country’s democracy had backslid in recent years," Park Seung-jin, a 64-year-old former airport employee, said near the court. "I shed a lot of tears when I saw our young people come out to the streets to fight against the deep rooted evils, and I am happy for them now."
The benchmark Kospi index briefly rose to a session high after the ruling. South Korea’s stocks and currency have remained resilient despite the crisis.
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea is home to several top candidates in recent polls, including Moon Jae-in. The party will hold a nationwide primary over the next month to pick a nominee. Park’s Liberty Korea Party, formerly known as Saenuri, has yet to put forward a candidate.
The scandal exposed flaws in South Korea’s democracy after the country transitioned from dictatorship in 1987, according to Kim Sung-soo, professor of political science at Hanyang University in Seoul.
"Today’s ruling gives a good example that any leaders in the future should be punished when they abandoned their duty," he said.
(Updates with acting president’s plan to address nation from third paragraph.)

Source : The National