A "free and fair" South Korean presidential election to choose a successor to ousted leader Park Geun-hye will be held by May 9 at the latest, the election commission chairman said on Saturday.
Park Geun-hye, South Korea’s first female president, was removed from office on Friday, because of a corruption scandal that has dominated South Korean politics for months – Park was accused of being unduly influenced by her longtime friend and adviser, Choi Soon-sil. Park is the country's first democratically elected leader to be forcibly removed.
People celebrate in front of the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea after hearing that President Park Geun-hye's impeachment was upheld. /CFP Photo
A spokesperson for Park Geun-hye said the former leader will stay in the presidential Blue House until her private residence in the south of Seoul is cleaned and ready for her move.
Park Geun-hye file photo
Soon after the Constitutional Court announced the ruling, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. Three people died amid the chaos.
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