South Korean lawmakers voted to impeach scandal-hit President Park Geun-hye on Friday, easily surpassing the required two-thirds majority of Seoul’s 300-seat parliament. A secret ballot at the National Assembly saw 234 lawmakers chose to oust their leader, suggesting more ruling party lawmakers turned against Park than expected.
Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn will take temporarily charge while the Constitutional Court has 180 days to either confirm or reject the vote. The impeachment could potentially lead to a snap election that could see outgoing United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon run for the top office.
South Korea’s only previous such impeachment saw the court take just 63 days to block lawmakers’ efforts to force out late former leader Roh Moo-hyun in 2004. On this occasion, the charges against Park are far more serious, while she also has the people against her having endured record-low approval ratings in the single-digit range.