Timeline of events in downfall of South Korean preisdent Park Geun-Hye

The removal of South Korean President Park Geun-hye by the country's Constitutional Court ends a power struggle that has consumed the nation for months.

Her removal from office over a corruption scandal has the potential to reshape a country whose politics have long been marred by fraud and ideological bickering. The changes may begin with a presidential by-election expected in early May.

It was a stunning downfall for Ms Park, a conservative who convincingly beat her liberal opponent in 2012.

No longer immune from prosecution, she may soon find herself in a criminal court defending charges that she colluded with a confidante to extort money and favours from companies and allowed the friend to secretly manipulate state affairs.

Here's a look at key developments in a tumultuous stretch in South Korean politics:

• July 27 2016 - A TV news channel reports on suspicions that one of Ms Park's former senior secretaries had pressured large companies into donating to K-Sports, a non-profit organisation aimed at internationally promoting South Korean sports.
• September 20 - A newspaper reports that Choi Soon-sil, Ms Park's long-time friend, was involved in establishing and running K-Sports.
• October 24 - Another TV station, citing files found on a tablet computer, reports that Ms Choi, who has no official government role, received classified government information such as advance drafts of presidential speeches.
• October 25 - Ms Park publicly acknowledges her close ties with Ms Choi, and says Ms Choi helped her on speeches and public relations issues during her 2012 presidential campaign and after her 2013 inauguration.
• October 27 - State prosecutors launch a special investigation team to look into the scandal.
• October 29 - First of what becomes a series of large anti-Park rallies is held in Seoul.
• October 30 - Ms Choi returns to South Korea from Germany. Two days later, while being rushed into a Seoul prosecutors' office, she tells reporters she "committed a sin that deserves death".
• November 4 - Ms Park. in her second apology over the scandal. expresses remorse, but denies that she was involved in any legal wrongdoing.
• November 20 - In indicting two former Park aides and Ms Choi, state prosecutors say they believe the president was "collusively involved" in criminal activities by the suspects, who allegedly bullied companies into giving tens of millions of dollars to foundations and businesses Ms Choi controlled, and enabled Ms Choi to interfere with state affairs. Ms Park's lawyer calls the accusations groundless.
• December 3 - Opposition lawmakers formally launch an attempt to impeach Ms Park, setting up a floor vote. Massive crowds said to be more than 2 million demonstrate across the nation calling for Ms Park's removal.
• December 9 - Politicians pass the impeachment bill on Ms Park by a vote of 234 for and 56 opposed. The Constitutional Court begins preparations for Ms Park's impeachment trial.
• January 1 2017 - In a surprise New Year's meeting with reporters, Ms Park accuses her opponents of framing her.
• January 5 - The Constitutional Court begins hearing arguments in Ms Park's trial. One of Ms Park's lawyers compares her impeachment to the "unjust" deaths of Jesus Christ and ancient Greek thinker Socrates.
• January 16 - Ms Choi, Ms Park's jailed friend, appears in the impeachment trial and denies accusations related to her.
• January 25 - A former culture minister tells court Ms Park's office blacklisted thousands of artists deemed as unfriendly to her government with an intention to deny them state support.
• February 17 - Lee Jae-yong, the billionaire scion of Samsung, South Korea's largest business group, is arrested over suspicions that he bribed Ms Park and Ms Choi in exchange for business favours.
• February 22 - One of Ms Park's lawyers tells court there will be a "rebellion and blood will drench the asphalt" if the court unseats Park and she is later acquitted of her charges through a criminal proceeding. Court closes arguments five days later.
• March 10 - The eight-member Constitutional Court votes unanimously to remove Ms Park from office.