S. Korean ruling party urges Park to quit in April

SEOUL (AFP) — South Korea’s ruling party on Thursday urged scandal-hit President Park Geun-Hye to step down in April next year, giving her a week to accept their ultimatum or risk impeachment.

Park this week said she would be willing to step down early after coming under huge pressure to quit over an influence peddling scandal that has drawn more than a million people onto the streets in protest.

The ruling Saenuri Party’s 128 lawmakers unanimously agreed to demand Park resign in late April and called for a presidential election to be held in June, six months earlier than scheduled.

“All the lawmakers of the party unanimously approved this timetable’’, parliamentary floor leader Chung Jin-Suk was quoted as saying by the Yonhap news agency after a crucial party meeting.

The party considered the timetable the most appropriate to ensure a peaceful transfer of power, maintain stability and give political parties time to prepare for the presidential election, Chung said.

Lawmakers from Park’s own party had backed the opposition-led move to impeach her as early as this Friday.

But one of them, former Saenuri Party head Kim Moo-Sung, said they were now willing to give Park four months to leave office.

“If the president agrees to step down on April 30, there is no need to push through with impeachment,’’ Kim said.

The party would give Park until Thursday next week to accept their demand.

“Otherwise, we would have no other option but to take part in the vote for an impeachment motion Friday next week,’’ said Kim, who is leading the anti-Park group within the ruling party.