SEOUL, South Korea (Reuters) — Two President Park Geun-hye supporters were reported to have died as injured were removed by emergency services from a protest on Friday (March 10) opposing the Constitutional Court’s decision to uphold her impeachment.
After the verdict hundreds of Park’s supporters outside the court tried to break through police barricades and two of them died, police said. One elderly man was taken to hospital with a head injury and the circumstances of the second death were being investigated.
Around 4,600 police officers were on duty around the court deal with the protest.
A Reuters witness saw police using pepper spray during clashes with protesters.
Park becomes South Korea’s first democratically elected leader to be forced from office, capping months of paralysis and turmoil, at a time of rising tension with North Korea and China, over a corruption scandal that has also landed the head of the Samsung conglomerate in jail.
The court’s acting chief judge, Lee Jung-mi, said Park had violated the constitution and law “throughout her term,” and despite the objections of parliament and the press, she had concealed the truth and cracked down on critics.
Park, 65, no longer has immunity as president, and could now face criminal charges over bribery, extortion and abuse of power in connection with allegations of conspiring with her friend, Choi Soon-sil.
However, Park has denied any wrongdoing.
A presidential election will be held within 60 days.
