Disgraced South Korean Leader Leaves Presidential Palace After Being Impeached. Photos

 

Disgraced South Korean leader Park Geun-hye has moved out of the presidential palace, two days after she was impeached over a corruption scandal. Removal vans pulled up to Cheong Wa Dae – known as The Blue House – in Seoul, with workers spotted loading up dozens of items including boxes, rubbish sacks, suitcases and even a mattress.

The 64-year-old, who has been holed up in the palace since Friday’s ruling, was defiant as she broke her silence on the decision, saying: “Although it will take time, I believe the truth will certainly come out.”

Park has lost her presidential immunity and could now face criminal charges after she became the first democratically-elected leader of South Korea to be forced from office.

On Friday, a judge upheld South Korean lawmakers’ vote to impeach her over allegations she allowed a personal friend to meddle in state affairs.

Choi Soon-sil and two presidential aides face charges of fraud, coercion and abuse of power over allegations she used her connections to Park to squeeze money out of businesses.

Choi allegedly put pressure on firms to donate to not-for-profit organisations, whose funds she then skimmed for personal use.

Park has been accused of helping Choi in this process by ordering the aides to pass on dozens of sensitive documents to her without security clearance.

Parliament voted to impeach Park, 64, in December and on Friday a panel of eight judges at the Constitutional Court upheld the vote.