An impeachment bill against South Korean President Park Geun-hye was passed on Friday afternoon by the National Assembly, with 234 out of 299 lawmakers voting in favor of the bill.

The bill immediately suspends President Park from exercising her power until impeachment is approved by the Constitutional Court, making Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn temporary head of state.

Experts said that the power vacuum in South Korea, coming as it does in the run-up to the inauguration of the new U.S. President, could heavily affect the country’s diplomatic future and leave it more vulnerable to possible provocations from Pyongyang.

A Seoul-based lawyer