South Korea’s Park stays low after suspected for graft

South Korean prosecutors on Sunday said they believe President Park Geun-hye conspired in criminal activities of a secretive confidante who allegedly manipulated government affairs and exploited her presidential ties to amass an illicit fortune – a damning revelation that may convince opposition parties to push for her impeachment. President Park had previously offered lawmakers the opportunity to propose a new prime minister candidate of their choosing.

The comments followed the prosecutors’ announcement that Park has a complicity “to a significant extent” with her decades-long friend, Choi Soon-sil, and two former presidential aides indicted on Sunday for criminal charges.

Streets near the Blue House, the president’s executive office and official residence, become swollen at weekends with protesting citizens calling for Park’s resignation.

Park is the daughter of Park Chung-hee, the country’s president from 1961 to 1979, who was assassinated by his own intelligence chief.

Prosecutors have indicted Choi and the two former presidential aides.

Since Hwang is close to Park, having him take over if Park is impeached – as would happen as things stand now – could leave her with some influence over government.

President Park is accused of letting a personal friend meddle in state affairs, triggering her approval rating to plummet to an all-time low of just 5 per cent.

Park should listen humbly to the public criticism and swiftly submit to questioning by prosecutors to answer the allegations against her.

It comes following the state prosecutors’s statement that part of Park’s apology last month was not true. The People’s Party said it will start a campaign to gather the necessary votes to impeach Park.

Park can not be indicted because she has constitutional immunity, prosecutor Lee said, but added: “We will continue to investigate the president”, without elaborating. Park will not attend the meeting, and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, now in Peru to attend the APEC summit, will return later in the day.

He said the party would formally begin the process when it sees the “biggest possibility” of parliament approving such a move. The court overturned the impeachment of then-President Roh Moo-hyun in 2004, restoring him to power.

The parliamentary impeachment must be approved by two-thirds of the nine-judge constitutional court known to have conservative inclinations.

During a meeting on November 20, the eight most likely presidential candidates in the opposition parties – including Moon Jae-in, Ahn Cheol-soo, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung – agreed to ask their parties’ leaders to call for Park to step down while also moving forward with impeachment proceedings.