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| South Korea: Critics call for arrest of impeached Park Geun-hye | South Korea: Critics call for arrest of impeached Park Geun-hye |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Ousted South Korean leader Park Geun-hye is keeping her silence as calls grow for her arrest. | Ousted South Korean leader Park Geun-hye is keeping her silence as calls grow for her arrest. |
| Ms Park was forced from office on Friday, after judges unanimously upheld parliament's decision to impeach her over her role in a corruption scandal involving close friend, Choi Soon-sil. | Ms Park was forced from office on Friday, after judges unanimously upheld parliament's decision to impeach her over her role in a corruption scandal involving close friend, Choi Soon-sil. |
| Despite the ruling, she remains inside the presidential compound. | Despite the ruling, she remains inside the presidential compound. |
| Thousands turned out for rallies in Seoul on Saturday, a day after three people involved in protests died there. | |
| Many are supporting Ms Park but counter-demonstrators are also expected. | |
| There are fears the two sides may clash and there is a heavy police presence. | |
| Read more: | Read more: |
| A spokeswoman for the protesters supporting the court's decision, Choi In-sook, told Reuters they were demanding the arrest of their former leader. | |
| Ms Park has lost her presidential immunity and could face criminal charges. | Ms Park has lost her presidential immunity and could face criminal charges. |
| Meanwhile, the country's election commission announced a "free and fair" vote would be held by 9 May at the latest. | |
| Currently, Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party is leading in the polls, with one survey putting him almost 22% ahead of his nearest rival, acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is loyal to Ms Park. | |
| Mr Hwang has called for calm, saying the government should remain stable to prevent internal conflict from spreading. | Mr Hwang has called for calm, saying the government should remain stable to prevent internal conflict from spreading. |
| However, police are bracing themselves for more violence following the deaths of two of Ms Park's supporters on Friday. | |
| A third person, aged 74, is understood to have had a heart attack during Friday's protests, and died on Saturday, according to Reuters. | A third person, aged 74, is understood to have had a heart attack during Friday's protests, and died on Saturday, according to Reuters. |
| Ms Park's office said she would not be leaving the Blue House, South Korea's presidential palace, on Friday nor making any statement. | Ms Park's office said she would not be leaving the Blue House, South Korea's presidential palace, on Friday nor making any statement. |
| It is understood she will not leave until her own home in Seoul is repaired and cleaned. | It is understood she will not leave until her own home in Seoul is repaired and cleaned. |
| Why did Park lose her job? | Why did Park lose her job? |
| At the heart of the drama lies the close friendship between the president and Ms Choi. | At the heart of the drama lies the close friendship between the president and Ms Choi. |
| Ms Choi is accused of using her presidential connections to pressure companies to give millions of dollars in donations to non-profit foundations she controlled. | Ms Choi is accused of using her presidential connections to pressure companies to give millions of dollars in donations to non-profit foundations she controlled. |
| Ms Park is alleged to have been personally involved in this, and to have given Ms Choi unacceptable levels of access to official documents. | Ms Park is alleged to have been personally involved in this, and to have given Ms Choi unacceptable levels of access to official documents. |
| Parliament voted to impeach Ms Park in December and the Constitutional Court has since been deciding whether to uphold or overturn this. | Parliament voted to impeach Ms Park in December and the Constitutional Court has since been deciding whether to uphold or overturn this. |
| On Friday, a panel of eight judges ruled Ms Park's actions "seriously impaired the spirit of... democracy and the rule of law". | On Friday, a panel of eight judges ruled Ms Park's actions "seriously impaired the spirit of... democracy and the rule of law". |
| The court said she had broken the law by allowing Ms Choi to meddle in state affairs, and had breached guidelines on official secrets by leaking numerous documents. | The court said she had broken the law by allowing Ms Choi to meddle in state affairs, and had breached guidelines on official secrets by leaking numerous documents. |
| Ms Park had "concealed completely Choi's meddling in state affairs and denied it whenever suspicions over the act emerged and even criticised those who raised the suspicions," it said. | Ms Park had "concealed completely Choi's meddling in state affairs and denied it whenever suspicions over the act emerged and even criticised those who raised the suspicions," it said. |
| But the judges dismissed some charges, including accusations Ms Park had infringed on freedom of the press by creating a media blacklist of cultural figures, and criticism of her response during the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster. | But the judges dismissed some charges, including accusations Ms Park had infringed on freedom of the press by creating a media blacklist of cultural figures, and criticism of her response during the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster. |