South Korea: President Park impeached in parliamentary vote

BELGRADE - South Korean lawmakers on Friday voted overwhelmingly to impeach President Park Geun-hye over an influence-peddling scandal, setting the stage for her to become the country's first elected leader to be pushed from office in disgrace.

Members of parliament voted by secret ballot with 234 in favor and 56 opposed, meaning dozens of members of Park's own conservative Saenuri Party backed the motion to remove her. At least 200 members of the 300-seat chamber needed to vote for the motion for it to pass.

Seven votes were disqualified, two members abstained and one member did not participate, the parliament speaker said.

The Constitutional Court must decide whether to uphold the motion, a process that could take up to 180 days, Reuters reports. Park's duties were immediately assumed by Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on an interim basis.

Park, 64, is...