South Korea’s Opposition Parties Move to Impeach President Park Geun-hye

Police say the turnout could be similar to what was the largest anti-Park protest. Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans marched in the capital. Another protest is planned for Seoul Saturday.

The opposition parties aim to announce the impeachment bill at a general assembly session on Thursday, and hold the vote on Friday.

“It’s a national disgrace that she’s still in that position. They simply don’t want a criminal hanging around there as a president until April”, he said.

Park is accused of allowing her friend Choi Soon-sil to access sensitive government information without official permission. Choi, along with some of Park’s aides, is suspected of using her close ties with the president to meddle in state affairs.

“I no longer believe a word the president or her party says”, said bank employee Kim Hak-Won who was marching Saturday with his teenage daughter.

People were angered further after Park’s national address earlier this week.

Park does not face the threat of charges because the South Korean Constitution gives immunity to the sitting President.

Protestors march towards the presidential office on Saturday.

The meeting was held at the chairwoman’s suggestion, but the political big shots failed to reach any agreement on detailed schedules and legal procedures for the president’s departure.

“Even if the president declares she will resign in April next year, we will not be shaken in our endeavor for impeachment”, the three parties said.

A majority in parliament, or 151 lawmakers, must approve the impeachment motion and wait 24 hours before it can be put up for vote.

About 20,000 protesters gathered earlier in the day in front of the Saenuri Party headquarters located near the unicameral assembly. “Dissolve the Saenuri Party!” The idea is that the focusing of the public’s wrath on opponents of impeachment could deal the Saenuri Party a blow it won’t easily recover from. Ignoring the public’s voices, she is clinging on to power. Her attorneys have said she is willing to cooperate, but she said this week she was too busy to meet with prosecutors.

According to reports, the oppositions have chose to hold a parliamentary impeachment vote on Park on 9 December. They are ramping up efforts to get members of the ruling party to break ranks.

The last was in 2004 for late President Roh Moo-hyun. The police tally of attendance was 1,500.

The opposition lacks enough lawmakers to pass President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment on its own.

Since then, demands for Geun-hye’s resignation have been growing. As of 9 p.m., it collected some 450,000 signatures.

The presidential office rejected all allegations of wrongdoing involving Park, claiming that the media coverage is biased and based on unfounded rumors.