South Korean court says no date yet for president's impeachment hearing
Park Geun-hye is accused of colluding with a friend and a former aide to pressure big businesses to donate to foundations set up to back her policy initiatives.
South Korea's Constitutional Court said on Monday, no date has been set for public hearings in the case to review parliament's impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, who has been caught up in an influence-peddling scandal.
A spokesman said the court's nine judges met earlier on Monday to discuss the case. The court must decide whether to uphold the impeachment the parliament voted to approve on Friday, a process that could take up to 180 days. If it is upheld, Park would be the first elected leader to be ousted from office.
Meanwhile, South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn will begin receiving official briefings from aides of disgraced President Geun-hye on Monday.
Hwang has sought to calm anxiety over national security and to reassure financial markets, while Park's presidency is held in limbo pending the outcome of a Constitutional Court review of her impeachment, which may take up to 180 days. Until then, Park will remain in the presidential Blue House a few blocks north of the main government complex where Hwang's office is located.