Saturday's rallies to demand Park and acting president resign

A week after lawmakers impeached President Park Geun-hye over a corruption and influence-peddling scandal, South Koreans are set to take to the streets again Saturday to demand Park immediately resign and pressure the Constitutional Court to uphold the impeachment.

In the eighth Saturday rally in central Seoul against the embattled president, rally organizers said they would also call for the resignation of acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, denouncing him as an “accomplice” to Park.

An association of 1,500 civic groups plan to stage a candlelight vigil at the Gwanghwamun Square starting from 5 p.m., with several pre-rallies planned in the afternoon to call for the abolishment of the controversial police pushed by the Park administration.

As in previous rallies, they plan to march toward Cheong Wa Dae, as close as 100 meters from it through 11 routes. The protestors will march near the Constitutional Court building to step up pressure on it to make a ruling rapidly and near the prime minister’s office to demand he resign.

A left-wing news outlet had reported on allegations that Hwang peddled influence over the prosecution when he was serving as justice minister in April 2014. He allegedly forced investigators not to charge maritime police officers, who failed to save passengers from the sinking ferry Sewol, with professional negligence.

Hwang denied the allegations in a statement.
 

South Korean lawmakers on Dec. 9 voted to impeach Park, with the approval of 234 lawmakers from the 300-seat National Assembly. Park was stripped of presidential authority and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn is serving as acting president.

Now, the fate of her presidency is left to the Constitutional Court as the impeachment requires its final approval, which could take up to 180 days.

As the police have banned the rallies near the acting president’s office and the court, rally organizers are awaiting a court’s decision on the ban. The court has backed the protestors holding anti-Park rallies near the presidential office for the past two months, citing freedom of assembly.

There are possibilities for clashes as some 50 conservative groups supporting President Park plan to stage a large-scale rally from 10 a.m. near Anguk Station and march toward the presidential office.

South Koreans have taken to the streets relentlessly and lit candles across the nation for the past seven weeks to call for Park’s ouster, with cumulative participation standing at about 7 million, according to the rally organizers.

Despite the passage of the impeachment vote, many of the protesters vowed to hold up candles until Park voluntarily resigns and those who assisted her in committing wrongdoings are held accountable.

President Park has been criticized for colluding with Choi Soon-sil, who has neither an official government post nor policy background, to extort money from conglomerates and let her meddle in state affairs.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)