Race on for new S Korea president
Probable election date is May 9.
THE RACE to become South Korea’s next president has started after former President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment was confirmed by a constitutional court ruling at the end of last week and she was ousted from office.
The court on Friday upheld the bill impeaching Park, which was passed by South Korean lawmakers on December 9. Park became the first South Korean leader to be removed from office by impeachment.
“There were enough reasonable charges to legitimise Park’s impeachment,” said Jang Seok-joon, vice-president of local think tank Future Politics Centre.
The court said Park had allowed Choi Soon-sil, her long-time confidante who held no public post, to meddle in state affairs behind the scenes and review government documents containing state secrets.
Prosecutors have branded Park as a criminal accomplice of Choi, who faces multiple charges, including bribery. Park could face an investigation by prosecutors as early as this week since she has now lost her presidential immunity.
Park returned to her private home in Seoul on Sunday night, smiling and waving at supporters who chanted her name and cheered. The streets have been divided in recent months by pro- and anti-Park rallies. Loyalists have claimed Park is innocent and the impeachment was unconstitutional.
Park’s impeachment was powered by “candle force”, said Jang.
A presidential by-election is now required within 60 days as the president has been formally unseated.
The most probable election date is May 9.
The interim government will be handled by Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who has emerged as the best hope for conservative voters, as Park’s political party and its members are seen as having collaborated with the disgraced president.
However, Hwang is unlikely to be elected – his approval rating hovered at 10 to 15%in opinion polls as he was one of Park’s closest aides.
The former president’s Liberty Korea Party, is being divided as dozens of politicians have defected to the Righteous Party, and conservative presidential hopefuls have seen their support scores fall to low single digits.
The winner in the primary of the biggest opposition party, which is called Minjoo, is widely forecast to win the presidency.
“However, whomever is elected next leader among Minjoo Party contenders will face a strong challenge given the formation of the parliament,” Jang said, expecting a bitter clash between the reformist government and powerful conservative parties.
The Minjoo Party gained 121 seats in the April 2016 parliamentary elections, but failed to win a majority in the 300-seat National Assembly.
The Liberty Korea Party still has 94 seats, while its splinter Righteous Party has 32.
Without co-operation from progressive or conservative opposition parties, the expected government of the Minjoo Party would be able to achieve little.
The People’s Party and Justice Party own 39 and 6 seats each.
Jang said it would be important for any new government to amend the constitution, which has not changed since 1987, as part of a strategy to maintain reformist momentum. He forecast no big difference in policies toward North Korea if any of the three Minjoo Party hopefuls is elected president.
The three potentials include frontrunner and former Minjoo Party chief Moon Jae-in, governor of South Chungcheong province Ahn Hee-jung and mayor of Seongnam city Lee Jae-myung.
Moon and Lee have favoured the reopening of the inter-Korean factory park in Kaesong, which was closed after Pyongyang’s nuclear test last year. They have supported the resumption of dialogue with North Korea.