US embassy turns off light amid blackout protest

The U.S. embassy in Seoul offered, Saturday, an indication of joining the massive candlelit rally calling for President Park Geun-hye’s resignation as its lights were turned off during a lights-out event.

In an effort to effectively protest against the scandal-ridden President, a lights-out performance was held across the nation for a minute at 7 p.m. and the lights on an upper floor of the U.S. embassy were turned off and on again after a minute.

Some rally participants and internet users interpreted that as the U.S. embassy joining the performance. The embassy has not commented yet on the blackout.

Even if it was to show support for the event, it remains unclear if it was done according to the will of the embassy as a whole or of its staff.

The U.S. State Department expressed support for the right to protest peacefully and reaffirmed the strong alliance with South Korea last week amid weeks of nationwide rallies demanding Park’s resignation sparked by a corruption scandal involving the President and her confident Choi Soon-sil.

“We have seen the press reporting of the political protests, and I would let the protesters and the government of Korea speak to that. You know where we stand on the right of peaceful protest and assembly and we continue to support that around the world,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing.

“People should have the ability to go out and voice their concerns about government. But it doesn’t change one iota of our commitment to South Korea, to the government, to the people there, and to making sure that we continue to meet all our alliance commitments,” he said.