By Elise Hu, @ NPR/All Things Considered, March 10

Two people died in demonstrations and frenzy following a historic ruling in South Korea to remove its first female president. The nation's acting president is calling for unity and calm as the impeached former President Park Geun-hye packs her bags.

"Conflicts during demonstrations is not right," said acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn.

Hwang spoke following clashes with police that broke out outside the nation's highest court after a panel of judges voted unanimously to uphold a legislative impeachment of Park.

"Our judges hope our sentence ... brings ideological divides and confusion in the state to an end," Chief Justice Lee Jung-mi said before reading out the decision.

Outside South Korea's Constitutional Court on Friday morning, thousands of South Koreans crammed onto the street to await the ruling. In an outdoor concertlike atmosphere, the chief justice was beamed onto giant screens as she read the announcement.

"The respondent, President Park Geun-hye, is expelled," Chief Justice Lee Jung-mi said.

The decision led crowds to break out in elation (among anti-Park camps) and emotion (among Park supporters).

Some 70 percent of South Koreans in a pre-ruling poll got what they'd wished for — Park's ouster [.....]