President Park Geun-hye on Monday accepted a proposal by the main opposition party leader for bilateral talks, her office Cheong Wa Dae said, raising hopes for the easing of a political crisis sparked by a corruption scandal involving her close confidante.
Park will hold bilateral talks with Choo Mi-ae, the leader of the Democratic Party, on Tuesday.
Early in the morning, Choo made an overture to Han Gwang-ok, the presidential chief of staff, to hold talks over the ongoing political deadlock.
The proposal followed the weekend's massive rally in downtown Seoul that called for Park's resignation. The Democratic Party, along with other opposition parties, joined the rally where organizers said some 1 million citizens gathered.
"I am seeking a chance to talk heart to heart with President Park to discuss public sentiment and find solutions (to the current political deadlock)," Choo said during the party's decision-making Supreme Council session.
Choo added that scenes of students taking to the streets with the entire nation concerned about the current political turmoil have been "weighing heavily" on her mind.
The largest opposition party has so far demanded that Park publicly declare she retreat from state affairs, a move to make the president a ceremonial head of state. But the presidential office has indicated that Park will exercise her lawful authority enshrined in the Constitution, such as her control over the military.
Meanwhile, the prosecution plans to question Park as a "witness" on Tuesday or Wednesday in a face-to-face format over her possible involvement in the corruption scandal linked to her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil, who has been charged with abuse of authority and attempted fraud.
The probe will mark the first time a sitting South Korean president will face a formal prosecutorial investigation. (Yonhap)
