South Korea takes steps to curb presidential powers after Park scandal

Seoul

SOUTH KOREAN lawmakers are moving to ensure that the nation never again has a leader as powerful as Park Geun-hye.

A bipartisan parliamentary committee began meeting in January to rewrite the constitution for the first time since 1987, when mass protests forced a military junta to adopt a direct presidential vote. In recent months, hundreds of thousands of Koreans have hit the streets to call for Ms Park's removal over an influence- peddling scandal that led to her impeachment.