The rise and fall of South Korea's impeached president

South Korea's Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of president Park Geun-hye on Friday, removing her from office over a graft scandal that has gripped the country for months.

• Deadly protests erupt after South Korea president impeached

Park's ouster marked a dramatic fall from grace for South Korea's first woman president and daughter of amilitary dictator.

Following is a timeline of main developments in the scandal and events in her life and political career.

1974 and 1979: Parents killed by assassins

Park's mother is killed by a bullet fired by a pro-North Korea assassin who was trying to kill her father, President Park Chung-hee.Park seen at centre in the first photo below and at her mother's funeral in the second became acting first lady.

Her father was later assassinated in 1979 by his disgruntled spy chief.

1998: Returnto political life after years of seclusion

Park becomes a member of parliament for the centre-right Grand National Party (GNP) with a vow to save the country, which is suffering from an Asian financial crisis. In 2004, she becomes the leader of GNP, which scores an upset victory in parliamentary elections in 2006.

Below, Park is seenat the GNP main officein Seoul in June2007.

2012:South Korea's 1st female president

Park wins her party's primary to become presidential candidate and defeats liberal candidate Moon Jae-inin the Dec. 19, 2012, presidential election. In the picture below,she is sworn in as South Korea's first female president at the country's parliament in Seoul on Feb. 25, 2013.

October and November 2016: Friend arrested and indicted

On Oct. 25, Park makes her first public apology for giving a friend, Choi Soon-sil, access to draft speeches during the first months of her presidency. Choi pictured below arriving for her first court hearing on Dec. 19, 2016, in Seoul was arrested six days after Park's apology by state prosecutors on suspicion of exerting inappropriate influence over state affairs.

• Woman at heart of S. Korean scandal says confession coerced

On Nov. 4, Parkmakes her second televised apology, saying she would take responsibility if found guilty prosecutors indict Choi on charges of abuse of power and attempted fraud on Nov. 20.

Park makes her third televised apology on Nov. 29, asking parliament to decide how and when she should give up her power over the scandal.

December 2016: Parliament votes for impeachment

In the photo below, South Korea's parliament votes to impeach Park on Dec. 9. She is stripped of powers while awaiting a court decision on the vote. Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn becomes acting president.

Park denies wrongdoing on New Year's Day, calling accusations a "fabrication and falsehood."

February: Samsungexecutive arrested and indicted

Samsung Group chief Jay Y. Leeis arrested on Feb. 17 and indicted Feb. 28 by special prosecutorson bribery and embezzlement charges.

• Samsung head Jay Y. Lee denies in Seoul trial

Special prosecutors said Lee seen in the photo below arrivingat the office of the independent counsel team on Feb. 19 in Seoul colluded with Choito take bribes from Samsung, paving the way for Park to be prosecuted if she is ousted from office.

March: Park removed from office

On March 10, South Korea's Constitutional Court upholds parliament's vote to impeach Park.

She becomes the firstdemocratically elected leader in the country's history to be ousted from office.