Park may deliver 3rd national address this week

By Jun Ji-hye

President Park Geun-hye cannot carry out her duties as the state’s chief executive because she has completely lost the trust of the people, analysts said Sunday.

Although she has defied public calls to resign immediately and seems determined to cling to power, there are growing signs that her leadership no longer works as street demonstrations are becoming bigger.

Some Cheong Wa Dae sources said Park might speak to the nation again this week _ her third such address since the corruption scandal involving her and her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil erupted.

Park’s approval rating fell to a record-low 4 percent in a Gallup Korea survey last week, as 1.9 million citizens took to the streets Saturday, calling again for her resignation.

The prosecution has named Park as a prime suspect in the scandal, in which Choi was indicted on Nov. 20, for allegedly interfering in state affairs and extorting local conglomerates to accumulate her own wealth.

“Any president would be unable to do the job with only a 4 percent approval rating,” said Choi Chang-ryul, a professor of political science at Yongin University.

“The rating shows that the President has completely lost her power to manage state affairs, although she can legally remain for now.”

The professor also pointed out that 93 percent of people in the survey expressed discontent about Park. This shows the public’s absolute refusal to acknowledge her authority, the professor noted.

The President, who has remained low-key, reportedly stayed at her residence over the weekend, receiving reports from her aides about the nationwide protest.

Chief of staff Han Gwang-ok and other senior secretaries also discussed ways of resolving the crisis, including the President making a third public apology.

But there seems to be no way out for Park, with an independent counsel to investigate the case expected to be appointed this week, while opposition parties are soon set to table a bill to impeach her.

Under a bill, two candidates for the independent counsel will be recommended to the President by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and the second-largest opposition People’s Party by Nov. 29. Park then has to choose one and appoint him or her within three days.

The two opposition parties, together with the minor opposition Justice Party, also want to submit a joint impeachment bill to the National Assembly by Nov. 30 and put it to a vote on Dec. 2 or 9.

An Assembly audit is also scheduled to start Nov. 30 to conduct hearings and investigations into relevant organizations, including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

For their part, state prosecutors have told Park’s attorney, Yoo Yeong-ha, that they want to question the President face-to-face by Nov. 29, despite an earlier refusal to comply with this.

Additionally, a preview of the preliminary version of a controversial state-authored history textbook, set to be revealed today, is expected to add fuel to the ongoing controversy surrounding the Park administration.

The government’s plan to publish the textbook ignited nationwide protests from opponents, who say it could lead to the glorification of former dictators, including the late President Park Chung-hee, the incumbent’s father.

Adding to Park’s problems, senior secretary for civil affairs Choi Jai-kyeong and Justice Minister Kim Hyun-woong tendered their resignations last week.

On Friday, some Cheong Wa Dae officials said that Park had rejected Choi’s offer to resign and that the secretary had agreed to return to work. But the presidential office has yet to make an official announcement, raising speculation that the secretary might not have agreed to withdraw his resignation.

Sources say Park is also trying to persuade Kim to withdraw his offer to step down, but he is inflexible.

If Park fails to persuade the two to stay, it is unclear who will fill the positions amid the President’s deepening isolation.

On the possibility of Park making a third apology to the nation, a Cheong Wa Dae official said on condition of anonymity that this would be one option, but details had not yet been decided on.

Park delivered a terse public apology Oct. 25, during which she admitted Choi Soon-sil reviewed more than 40 presidential speeches in advance.

The president then apologized a second time, Nov. 4, in an emotional nine-minute address to the nation.