S Korean parliament passes bill to impeach scandal-scarred president

South Korean parliament kicks off vote on presidential impeachment in Seoul Dec. 9, 2016. (Xinhua/Kim Ho Min)

South Korean parliament passed a historic bill to impeach scandal-scarred President Park Geun-hye as it gained the two-thirds majority vote.

The final tally was 234 votes cast in favor of impeachment, with 56 against and 2 abstentions. Seven votes were invalid.

President Park will be stripped of all powers immediately after receiving the copied result on paper. It is expected to take three to four hours for the document to reach the impeached president.

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn is to become acting president, temporarily assuming presidential power while the constitutional court weighs the case for as long as 180 days.