Park to face vote next week

Govt lawmakers undecided on impeachment

South Korean opposition parties said on Friday they will hold a parliamentary impeachment vote on scandaltainted President Park Geun-hye next week, while her own party remains undecided on whether to force her out of office.

Park has offered to resign and asked parliament on Tuesday to decide how and when she should step down over the influence peddling scandal but the opposition has rejected it as a delaying tactic to avoid impeachment.

If Park is forced out of office or resigns, she will be the first democratically elected South Korean president not to serve a full term. A large rally is expected on Saturday, the sixth weekend protest in succession, calling on her to resign immediately.

The three opposition parties, with a combined 165 seats in the 300-member parliament, can bring the impeachment but will need some members from Park’s Saenuri Party to bring the vote to the two-thirds majority required to pass the bill.

“The three opposition parties will pursue the impeachment through close cooperation and without wavering,” said Ki Dong-min, a spokesperson for the main opposition Democratic Party. “The motion will be proposed today. It will be reported to the plenary session on December 8 and we will bring the impeachment motion to a vote on December 9.”

Park is accused of colluding with a friend, who has been accused of abuse of power, to put undue pressure on conglomerates to contribute money to foundations that were set up to promote her policy initiatives. Park has denied wrongdoing but has apologized to the nation.

Some Saenuri members had earlier said they would join the op- position parties to impeach Park but changed their position after Park offered to quit, saying she should be given the chance to step down of her own accord by April.

“The president has offered to step down, so I don’t get what the motive is for insisting on impeaching her when we know there’s going to be uncertainties and confusion and side effects,” Saenuri leader Chung Jinsuk said at a meeting.

It was not clear whether there would be the needed 28 Saenuri members to support the vote. There are seven non-party affiliated members who are expected to give their backing. Some opposition members have said a failed impeachment could vindicate Park’s claim to have done nothing to benefit personally and help her survive politically.