South Korea President Park impeachment trial begins

Seoul : Constitutional Court proceedings have begun against South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye, despite her absence from the impeachment trial.
Politicians voted to impeach Ms Park last month over a corruption scandal, but the court must now ratify or overturn that decision.
The court’s first hearing was postponed on Tuesday after Ms Park failed to appear.
The scandal has sparked mass protests demanding her resignation.
It centres on her relationship with old friend Choi Soon-sil, who has been charged with a number of offences, including abuse of power, coercion and attempted fraud.
Her lawyer previously said Ms Park, who is not legally required to attend, will not be in court “unless there are special circumstances”, the Yonhap news agency reported.