Massive protest calls on South Korean president to quit

More than 40,000 voice anger over scandal involving Park Geun-hye's friend allegedly influencing government decisions.

South Koreans hold placards and candles as they march in a protest against president Park Geun-hye in Seoul on November 5, 2016. Jeon Heon-kyun / EPA

Seoul // Tens of thousands of protesters marched in Seoul on Saturday to demand president Park Geun-hye’s resignation, a day after she apologised and accepted full blame for a crippling corruption scandal.

In one of the largest demonstrations in the South Korean capital in years, there was little sympathy for Ms Park who, in an emotional televised address on Friday, had talked of her loneliness and heartache at the explosion of public anger in recent weeks.

“Her speech made me even more angry,” said Park Mee-hee, 44, who was marching with her teenage daughter.

“She kept making ridiculous excuses as if she was totally innocent. She should step down right now.”

The scandal has focused on a close friend of the president, Choi Soon-sil, who has been arrested for fraud and is also accused of meddling in state affairs, including official appointments and policy decisions, despite holding no official position.

The crisis has shattered public trust in Ms Park’s judgement and leadership, and her approval rating has plunged to just 5 per cent, a record low for a sitting president.

Police said more than 40,000 people had turned out for Saturday’s candlelight rally – more than double the size of a similar anti-Park protest the week before.

Organisers said the number was closer to 200,000, after a Seoul court overturned a police ban on the demonstrators marching along the city’s main ceremonial boulevard.

About 20,000 police were mobilised, but while the tone of the banners and slogans was angry, the event was largely peaceful, with many school and college students as well as couples carrying infants or walking with their young children.

In an effort to restore trust in her administration, Ms Park has reshuffled ministers and senior advisers, bringing in figures from outside her ruling party.

In her televised address, she agreed to be questioned by prosecutors investigating the charges against Ms Choi, and sought to portray herself as an over-trusting friend who had let her guard down at a moment of weakness.

Despite the mass protests and public apologies, Ms Park is seen as unlikely to resign with just over a year of her single term in office left to run.

The main opposition party has threatened to agitate for her removal unless she devolves more of her extensive executive powers, but it is wary of forcing an early presidential election it would not be confident of winning.

* Agence France-Presse