With a vote of 234 to 56, South Korea’s National Assembly impeached President Park Geun Hye on Dec. 9 for her role in an influence-peddling scandal that has shaken the nation. Now the country’s Constitutional Court will have up to 180 days to review the motion and either confirm or dismiss it. If the court upholds the decision, or if Park steps down during the impeachment process, South Korean law dictates that new elections must be held within 60 days.

The impeachment vote will do little to quell political instability in the country. Though more than 50 members of the ruling Saenuri Party opted to impeach Park in the anonymous vote, deep divides remain between it and the Democratic Party, South Korea’s main opposition force. The Democratic Party is also embroiled in a dispute with its smaller counterpart in the opposition, the People’s Party. One of the first decisions the National Assembly will have to make moving forward is whether Prime Minister Hwang Kyo Ahn will continue to serve in Park’s place as the impeachment hearings proceed. The opposition has called for the installation of an alternative candidate instead, which could trigger lengthy debates in the National Assembly in the weeks ahead.

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