Anti-Park rallies flare up across nation

Rallies demanding President Park Geun-hye’s resignation flared up across South Korea on Saturday, in the fourth mass demonstration of public anger at the conservative leader over a scandal involving her confidante that broke late last month.

As of 8:30 p.m., over 650,000 protestors packed the streets of Seoul’s Gwanghwamun area, according to organizers. The police estimate is 170,000.

From Gwangju, Busan to Park’s hometown of Daegu, tens of thousands of people took to the streets, joining the nationwide call for Park’s removal from office.

Nearly 15,000 gathered in Daegu in the city’s largest rally in history. Busan, another conservative stronghold, saw some 20,000 rally for Park’s ouster, while the liberal Gwangju reported 50,000 protestors.

Across the country, rallies were held at over 100 locations. Rally organizers — a union of over 1,500 civic groups — estimated the total turnout at nearly 1 million.

As in previous rallies, people from all walks of life came out to protest. Many teenagers as well as parents with children could be heard calling for Park to step down.

“Eight from my class came to today’s rally. We wanted to come last week, but couldn’t,” said Kim Ji-yoon, a high school senior who took the national entrance exam Thursday.

Kang Dong-jin, 49, said Park should be impeached.

“Park said she would listen to the public, but is now back running state affairs (as if nothing happened.) She doesn’t keep her own word. She deserves nothing but impeachment.”

Last Saturday, the third anti-Park rally in Seoul drew more than 1 million people, according to organizers, marking the largest protest since the country’s democratization in 1987. 

The president is facing her biggest crisis yet, with her approval ratings at an abysmal 5 percent, according to Gallup.

Accused of letting her civilian friend, Choi Soon-sil, manipulate state affairs, Park has apologized twice and offered to undergo an investigation, but this week made a series of steps seen as a move intended to retain power.

By Korea Herald special report team