#SouthKorea #Samsung #President #ParkGeunHye #impeachment
South Korean President Park Geun-hye has been impeached, with the constitutional court on Friday upholding a parliamentary vote to eject her from office for her role in a corruption and influence-peddling scandal. Election for a new president must now be held within 60 days.
This case, which involves not only the President but also CEOs of leading companies like Samsung, a high-profile prosecutor and the head of the national pension fund, the world’s third largest.
The news comes at not a great time for South Korea, when there are high tensions with neighboring countries like North Korea for firing missiles and threats, and also China, who is retaliating against South Korea as punishment for deploying the American anti-missile battery THAAD.
The scandal revolves around President Park and her lifelong friend, Choi Soon-sil, who is accused of planning to take $37 million from Samsung alone. Prosecutors have recommended a total of 13 charges against Park including abuse of power, coercion of donations and the sharing of state secrets.
LiveSid 