Embattled South Korean President Park Geun-hye's surprise move to offer a strings-attached resignation could induce a prolonged leadership crisis just as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump looks to form a national security team capable of reining in an increasingly assertive North Korea.
In her third apology to the nation, Park said Tuesday that she would leave her fate in the hands of the country's parliament amid questions of a swirling influence-peddling scandal that involved a longtime confidante.
But the move, which effectively puts the ball in parliament's court, leaves South Korea adrift in uncharted territory as the North makes progress in its nuclear and missile programs and a new, inexperienced U.S. leader grapples with how he will best deal with a recalcitrant Pyongyang.