South Korean court to begin review of President's impeachment

Seoul: South Korea's Constitutional Court said on Monday that it will start the official review of the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye next week.

The National Assembly voted on December 9 to oust Park from office over a corruption and influence-peddling scandal involving her and her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil, Yonhap news agency reported.

The top court said its preparation procedure will be complete this week after it receives the results of the prosecution's investigation into the case.

The court has around six months to come up with a final ruling. If her impeachment is confirmed, South Korea has to hold a presidential election within 60 days.

South Korean prosecutors, meanwhile, said they will hand over documents related to the investigation into the President to the Constitutional Court, which is expected to speed up the impeachment review process.

The Constitutional Court has been facing hurdles in acquiring prosecutors' documents, amid legal debate on the legitimacy of the top court's request for files on ongoing cases.