South Korean President Park Geun-hye yesterday asked parliament to decide how and when she can give up power over an influence-peddling scandal, taking the nation’s political crisis deeper into uncharted terrain.
The main opposition Democratic Party rejected Park’s offer, calling it a ploy to escape being impeached, and said it would continue efforts to bring an impeachment motion in parliament, which it has sought to do as soon as Friday.
No South Korean president has failed to complete a single five-year term since the democratic system was introduced in 1987.
Photo: EPA
“I will leave to parliament everything about my future, including the shortening of my term,” Park said in a brief televised speech.
Her dramatic maneuver puts the burden of resolving the crisis, involving a close friend accused of meddling in state affairs, on parliament, which has been controlled by a coalition of opposition parties since Park’s Saenuri Party unexpectedly lost its majority in elections in April.
The presidential office and Park’s lawyer have denied the accusations against her. She has immunity from prosecution in the case as long as she remains in office.
If Park resigns or an impeachment vote in parliament is upheld by the Constitutional Court, an election must be held in 60 days to nominate a president to serve a five-year term, with the prime minister leading the nation in the interim.
That short time frame could leave the main political parties looking to buy time in order to coalesce behind presidential candidates and political analysts said it might take months for parliament to agree on an exit plan for Park.
“I will step down from my position according to the law once a way is formed to pass on the administration in a stable manner that will also minimize political unrest and vacuum, after ruling and opposition parties’ discussion,” Park said, her voice firm.
Park, 64, had apologized twice previously, but until yesterday had resisted mounting public calls to quit. Her term is scheduled to end in February 2018.
“She doesn’t want parliament to impeach her and she doesn’t think that parliament can soon reach an agreement, so she is making things complicated and trying to shift some of her blame to parliament,” Myongji University professor of political science Shin Yul said.
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands rallied for the fifth weekend in a row, calling for Park’s resignation. Organizers said the crowd totaled 1.5 million, while police estimated the crowd at 260,000.
Opposition parties canvassing for support to impeach Park need votes from her own party to secure the two-thirds majority needed to pass such a motion.
Park’s approval rating fell to just 4 percent in a weekly survey released on Friday last week by Gallup Korea, an all-time low for a democratically elected South Korean president.
Park’s friend, Choi Soon-sil, and a former aide have been indicted in the case. Prosecutors named Park as an accomplice in an investigation into whether big business was inappropriately pressured to contribute money to foundations set up to back Park’s initiatives.
Park has acknowledged carelessness in her ties with Choi, who Park has said had helped her through difficult times.
“Not even for a moment did I pursue my own gains and I have lived without one iota of self-interest,” the president said.
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