[POLITICS] S Korea lawmakers vote to impeach leader

South Korea's Parliament has voted to impeach President Park Geun-hye.

The National Assembly motion passed by 234 votes to 56, meaning some members of Ms Park's ruling Saenuri Party voted to impeach her.

Ms Park's authority now passes to Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn.

She has been embroiled in a political scandal that let thousands of Koreans to take to the streets demanding her removal from power.

The heart of the crisis is the releationship between Ms Park and her close confidante,Choi Soon-sil who stands accused of using her connections to gain influence and financial benefits.

Procecutors say Ms Park had a "considerable" role in the alleged corruption, which she has denied and over the last few weeks she has repeatedly apologised for her role in scandal.

The vote means Ms Park is now  suspended from her position. But the decision still needs final approval from the nine-judge constitution court.

If it upholds the decision, only then would Ms Park be dismissed. She would then become the first sitting South Korean president to be deposed during the country's democratic era.