Critics of ousted Park call for her arrest
Park’s supporters and opponents plan rallies in Seoul, presidential election due by May 9
SEOUL: Opponents of South Korea’s ousted leader, Park Geun-hye, demanded yesterday that she be arrested a day after she was thrown out of office over a corruption scandal involving the country’s conglomerates.
Park’s critics said they would rally in central Seoul, where they have been gathering every weekend for months, while the former president’s conservative supporters also planned protests, raising the risk of confrontation.
The Constitutional Court ruling on Friday to uphold a parliamentary vote to impeach Park infuriated hundreds of her supporters, two of whom were killed as they tried to break through police lines outside the court. A third man, a 74-year-old, had a heart attack and died yesterday, a hospital said.
Protesters were setting up a stage beside a major avenue in central Seoul early yesterday, and groups of police were on the streets, but the situation was calm.
“We demand the arrest of Park Geun-hye and the resignation of acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn,” said Choi In-sook, a spokeswoman for protesters opposed to Park, told Reuters.
Prime Minister Hwang, a Park loyalist, became acting president when parliament voted to impeach her on Dec 9.
Hwang called for calm on Friday and promised that a snap
We demand the arrest of Park Geun-hye and the resignation of acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn. — Choi In-sook, a spokeswoman for protesters opposed to Park
presidential election, which has to be held within 60 days, would be smooth.
Park is South Korea’s first democratically elected leader to be forced from office. Her ouster followed months of political paralysis and turmoil over a corruption scandal that also landed the head of the Samsung conglomerate in jail and facing trial.
Park did not appear in court on Friday and did not make any comment after the ruling. She spent the night in the presidential Blue House residence though would leave at some time, and return to her Seoul residence, a spokesman said.
The chairman of the National Election Commission, Kim Yong-deok, said in a televised address the vote would be free and fair and held by May 9 at the latest. He said he was concerned differences could lead to an ‘overheated’ atmosphere and called on the public to overcome ‘conflict’.
Park’s supporters want her to stay in power.
Some want the court decision overturned and her case heard again by new judges.
“We strongly request the trial is held again,” said Chung Kwang Yong, a spokesman for the protest organisers.
Another Park supporter, Vietnam War veteran CS Kim, asked about the violence on Friday, said police had been ‘over-protective’. He said Park’s supporters were driven by their patriotism.