[IMPEACHMENT] Park voices concern about leadership vacuum

By Park Sae-jin Posted : December 9, 2016, 18:30 Updated : December 9, 2016, 18:30

Lawmakers vote in parliament on the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. [Yonhap News Photo]


South Korean President Park Geun-hye expressed concern about a leadership vacuum in her final meeting with cabinet members Friday as the prime minister took over her job to contain the fallout from the president's impeachment in parliament.

Park urged cabinet members to prevent a vacuum in state affairs pending an impeachment trial at the constitutional court, apologizing for causing confusion at a time when security and economy were in a difficult situation.

"I seriously accept the voices of people and parliament while hoping sincerely that there will be no more turmoil," she said.

Shortly after Park was impeached in parliament, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn asked Defense Minister Han Min-koo to step up vigilance on North Korea. "North Korea will consider South Korea's security situation as vulnerable," he said,

Hwang also asked Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se to tell foreign countries that there would be no change in South Korea's economic, social and diplomatic affairs.

China expressed hopes that South Korea would recover political stability soon.

"As a neighbor for South Korea, we are closely watching the political developments there," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told Yonhap News Agency. "We hope that the political situation is stabilized as soon as possible."

Aju News Lim Chang-won  = cwlim34@ajunews.com 
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