S Korea to hold presidential election on May 9

Tunia Cherian Updated - January 15, 2018 at 10:19 AM.

Ousted South Korean President Park Geun-hye (file pic)

South Korea says it will hold an election on May 9 to choose a successor for ousted President Park Geun-hye.

The Constitutional Court ruled Friday to formally end Park’s presidency over a huge political scandal involving her and her longtime confidante. By law, South Korea must hold a national vote to find her successor within two months of the ruling.

The Ministry of Interior said on Wednesday that May 9 has been chosen as the date for the election.

Moon Jae-in, a liberal opposition leader who lost the 2012 presidential election to Park, is the favourite to be the country’s next leader in opinion surveys.

Prosecutors accuse Park of colluding with confidante Choi Soon-sil to extort money from businesses and allowed her pull government strings from the shadows.

Published on March 15, 2017 06:23