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| A group of students hold a rally calling for President Park Geun-hye to step down at a district office in Jongno-Gu, Seoul, Friday, a day ahead of the fourth candlelit rally which is expected to draw more than 500,000 protesters in central Seoul. / Yonhap |
By Choi Ha-young
Tension is heightening over the fourth candlelit protests on Saturday against President Park Geun-hye in Seoul and other major cities across the nation amid growing concerns over possible clash with Park's supporters.
The rally comes after Cheong Wa Dae made it clear that it will stand firm against people's mounting calls for her resignation over the scandal involving her confidant Choi Soon-sil.
Park's determination to stay in power has fueled the public anger further. Police also said they will block the march near the presidential office citing traffic inconveniences and concerns over clash in disregard of repeated rulings from the Seoul Administrative Court in favor of the march.
"It appears that the police has changed their stance and decided to block the march near Cheong Wa Dae because of Park's determination to fight against people's call for resignation," said Han Seon-beom, a spokesperson for the rally's organizers.
A civic group filed an injunction with a court to dismiss the police's decision. If the court accepts the request again, the police cannot impose a ban on the march.
About 5,000 members of President Park's longtime fan club "Park Sa Mo" plan to turn out on central Seoul to advocate her and protect the presidency, which may lead to physical conflicts.
The police will try to separate the two groups as they are supposed to take different routes for the march. Still, the two groups might clash.
For the fourth candlelit protest, about 500,000 people are expected to flock to Gwanghwamun Square, with high school seniors who finished their College Scholastic Ability Test on Thursday vowing to join the rally.
From 2 p.m., participants will walk toward the square, from Dongdaemun History and Culture Park, Hongik Univ. Station, Samgakji Station and Marronnier Park, according to the organizers.
This time, citizens will scatter across the nation to demand Park to step down. People will flock to over 100 places including Jeonju, Yeosu, Pohang, Gangneung and Geoje, unlike last Saturday when people came by bus from provinces. The organizer keeps updating the nationwide protests' schedule on its Facebook page.
Meanwhile, youth groups are preparing anti-Park festivals in Sinchon, the commercial zone for young people, western Seoul. From 2 p.m. social media-based group "Do it do it again" will do a flash mob, with a song "Do you hear the people sing?" from the movie "Les Miserables."
"At mass rallies, participants don't have enough chances to talk to each other," the organizer of the event Park Hye-min told The Korea Times. "We aim to expand the political activities into daily space out of large square, by playing together," she said.
From 4 p.m. in the middle of Sinchon's main street, youth will express their anger against Choi Soon-sil's daughter Chung Yoo-ra, who entered a prestigious university by illicit admission. The event will feature rapper's performance and free speeches under the title, "Show me the Yoo-ra."
"Besides Park's resignation, we should make a society without privilege and foul," the organizer Jeong Woo-ryeong told The Korea Times.
Meanwhile, Park's approval rate has no sign of rebound, standing at five percent for three consecutive weeks, according to Gallup Korea, Friday.
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