South Korean President Park Geun-hye was impeached.

This morning (March 10), a judge of the South Korean Constitutional Court announced that the National Assembly would uphold its earlier decision to impeach President Park Geun-hye.

Supporters of President Park protested outside the Constitutional Court in Seoul on March 10. Photo: Reuters.

According to Reuters, with this ruling by the Constitutional Court, Park Geun-hye will be forced to leave office before her term ends.

Thus, Park Geun-hye became the first democratically elected president in South Korea to be forced out of office. According to the South Korean Constitution, a new presidential election will be held within 60 days of this ruling.

According to AFP, the chief justice of the Constitutional Court, Lee Jung-mi, stated that Park's actions "seriously damaged the spirit of democracy and the rule of law." Lee Jung-mi affirmed that "President Park Geun-hye… has been impeached."

The Constitutional Court's decision comes after months of political crisis in South Korea over allegations of corruption involving President Park Geun-hye and her close friend, Choi Soon-sil.

Park was elected President of South Korea in 2012 with the highest number of votes ever received by a South Korean presidential candidate during a democratic period.

Security was tightened around the Constitutional Court headquarters in Seoul ahead of the ruling day, with a large police presence. Protesters against Park and those engaging in unruly behavior were also kept away from the court area.

South Korean National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun has called for the immediate normalization of domestic affairs in South Korea following the Constitutional Court's ruling on Park, issues that have been severely disrupted since her suspension last December.

According to Tuoi Tre newspaper