South Korean President Park Geun-Hye speaks during her New Year press conference at the presidential Blue House in Seoul on January 6, 2014. Park proposed fresh reunions of families separated by the Korean War, promising increased humanitarian aid to the impoverished North. AFP PHOTO / POOL / JUNG YEON-JE (Photo credit should read JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images)
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South Korean President Park Geun-Hye speaks during her New Year press conference at the presidential Blue House in Seoul on January 6, 2014. Park proposed fresh reunions of families separated by the Korean War, promising increased humanitarian aid to the impoverished North. AFP PHOTO / POOL / JUNG YEON-JE (Photo credit should read JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images)
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SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - APRIL 03: Moon Jae-In, presidential election candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea speech during the primary election on April 3, 2017 in Seoul, South Korea. The Democratic Party of Korea held the last round of its primary election to name its candidate Moon Jae-In for the upcoming presidential election. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
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SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - MARCH 30: Ousted South Korean President Park Geun-hye arrives for questioning on her arrest warrant at the Seoul Central District Court March 30, 2017 in Seoul, South Korea. A hearing to determine whether an arrest warrant should be issued for former president Park Geun-hye will be held at the Seoul Central District Court. (Photo by Ahn Young-Joon-Pool-Getty Images)
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SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - DECEMBER 09: In this handout photo released by the South Korean Presidential Blue House, South Korea's President Park Geun-Hye attends the emergency cabinet meeting at the presidential office on December 9, 2016 in Seoul, South Korea. The South Korean National Assembly voted for an impeachment motion at its plenary session, which will set up the rare impeachment trial for President Park over the accusation of corruption involving Park and her long time confidante. (Photo by South Korean Presidential Blue House via Getty Images)
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SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - MARCH 10: Supporters of President Park Geun-hye react emotionally as the Constitutional Court had ruled the impeachment near the court on March 10, 2017 in Seoul, South Korea. Park will be permanently removed from the South Korean office and the nation will need to hold a presidential election within 60 days. Park had been impeached by parliament in December for allegedly letting her confidante Choi Soon-sil involved in state affairs and colluded to take bribes of millions of dollars from South Korean conglomerates. (Photo by Jean Chung/Getty Images)
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SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - DECEMBER 06: Lee Jae-Yong, vice chairman of Samsung answers questions during a parliamentary hearing of the probe in Choi Soon-sil gate at the National Assembly on December 6, 2016 in Seoul, South Korea. South Korea started the parliament hearing with leaders of nine South Korean conglomerates including Samsung, Hyundai, Lotte over the tens of millions of dollars given to foundations controlled by Ms Park's friend Choi Soon-sil, the woman at the center of the scandal. (Photo by Jeon Heon-Kyun-Pool/Getty Images)
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SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - NOVEMBER 12: Thousands of South Koreans take to the streets in the city center to demand President Park Geun-Hye to step down on November 12, 2016 in Seoul, South Korea. Approximately hundreds of thousands of people joined the anti-government protest Saturday amid rising public frustration for President Park Geun-hye's corruption scandal. (Photo by Kim Hong-Ji-Pool/Getty Images)
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SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - OCTOBER 29: Thousands of South Koreans took to the streets in the city center to demand President Park Geun-hye to step down on October 29, 2016 in Seoul, South Korea. The protest stems from allegations that President Park let her friend Choi Soon-Sil interfere in important state affairs. (Photo by Woohae Cho/Getty Images)
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Story highlights

Liberal Moon Jae-in most likely successor, open to better dialogue

Political turmoil could have implications for US' North Korea policy

CNN  — 

The dramatic removal of South Korean President Park Geun-hye from office Friday raises concerns that the political turmoil will further embolden North Korea.

A Constitutional Court decision to uphold Park’s impeachment came just days after North Korea launched four ballistic missiles into the sea off Japan’s coast, in the latest provocation by the rogue state.

With the country’s ruling conservatives, previously under Park, looking out of favor, it seems likely South Korea will turn to the left-wing opposition at the upcoming election.

Would a new president pursue a more open dialogue with the North Koreans? Or will it take a harder line on their provocative northern neighbors?