SOUTH KOREA’S Constitutional Court will rule on President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment Friday at 11 a.m., a court spokesman said yesterday.

    The ruling will be televised live, court spokesman Bae Bo-yoon told reporters. He declined to comment on whether the judges had already reached a conclusion.

    Park was impeached by parliament in December and stripped of her powers pending the court’s ruling.

    If the court upholds the impeachment, a presidential election will be held in 60 days. If the court strikes down the impeachment, Park will be reinstated.

    Park is accused of violating her constitutional duty by colluding with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, to pressure big businesses into making contributions to foundations set up to support her policy and allowing her to exert influence on state affairs.

    Park and Choi have denied wrongdoing.

    At least six of the eight judges on the bench have to vote to uphold the impeachment for the case to be approved, after the ninth judge, the chief of the court which rules only on constitutional appeals, retired in January.(SD-Agencies)