South Korea’s opposition parties move towards President Park impeachment

“The president played a collusive role in a considerable portion of the criminal activities involving the [three] people”, Lee Young-Ryeol, a Seoul prosecutor who is leading a probe into the scandal, said.

This follows recent mass protests in Seoul demanding for an end to Park’s presidency.

However, there are growing voices within the opposition saying that an impeachment attempt is inevitable because it’s unlikely Park will resign and give up her immunity. The country has witnessed the largest protests since the pro-democracy demonstrations of the 1980s.

Nearly one million protesters marched on Saturday night nationwide, demanding Park to immediately step down. She plans to attend a summit with her Chinese and Japanese counterparts in Tokyo next month and preside over a Cabinet meeting next week.

South Korean protesters hold candles during a rally calling for South Korean President Park Geun-hye to step down in Seoul, South Korea, Nov. 19, 2016. The companies felt they had to donate the money or they would be at risk of audits or unfair treatment from government authorities, prosecutors said. Popping out from the smaller pinata was a Barbie doll on a stuffed horse, meant to be Choi’s daughter, an equestrian athlete who allegedly got a virtual free pass into an elite university because of her family’s presidential ties.

Jung said President Park will prove her innocence by actively cooperating with an investigation by a special prosecutor who will be appointed given that the president unconditionally accepted the independent counsel proposal.

In Seoul, police were surprised by the sheer numbers who poured into the streets between Gwanghwamun Plaza and City Hall downtown, but estimates varied between 180,000 and 600,000.

Prosecutors also learned that these documents continued to be leaked until recently, contradicting what Park said.

Park’s lawyer Yoo Yeoung-ha also rejected the allegations, according to a Yonhap report.

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. This led to suspicions Cheong Wa Dae was using delay tactics to weaken the investigation. Eight potential presidential candidates met Sunday to discuss how to push for impeachment.

“President Park has now become a suspect, creating legal conditions to table a motion for her impeachment”, main opposition Democratic Party spokesperson Youn Kwan-suk told reporters.

When Park senior was assassinated by his head of intelligence in 1979, there was speculation it was because the spy chief was anxious the president was being manipulated by the man dubbed “the Korean Rasputin”. He is known to have befriended Park after the assassination of her mother, the then-first lady, in 1974.

The impeachment, however, can be a tough option to select as the passage of impeachment motion requires at least 200 ayes from the 300 parliamentary seats. The smaller People’s Party also chose to pursue impeachment.

DAVID KANG: I think Park clearly thinks that she can ride it out. Park’s attorney claimed it can not concede the results, denying all allegations and questioning the fairness and credibility of the probe.