Citizens up in arms over presidential scandal

Artist Lim Ok-sang writes “step down” in Chinese character calligraphy on a placard during a protest held near Cheong Wa Dae by the civic group June Democracy Forum to demand President Park Geun-hye resign for the influence-peddling scandal involving her confidant, Choi Soon-sil, Thursday. / Yonhap

By Kim Bo-eun

University students and professors, and civic and religious groups are protesting against President Park Geun-hye over the snowballing scandal centering on her confidant Choi Soon-sil, calling on her to take responsibility for the matter and step down.

Several civic groups held candlelit vigils at Cheonggye Plaza, Gwanghwamun Square and several other places in downtown Seoul, Thursday, and also plan to hold gatherings today.

A large scale rally is set to be held at Cheonggye Plaza on Saturday evening, to press the President to step down and to demand the investigation authorities get to the bottom of Choi’s alleged meddling in state affairs. Organizers expect about 200,000 participants.

On Nov. 12, an anti-government rally is scheduled to take place in commemoration of the one year anniversary of a Nov. 14 rally last year, when farmer Baek Nam-ki was knocked over by a police water cannon. He died last month after 10 months in comma. The planned rally is expected to draw more participants than initially expected, due to the ongoing presidential scandal.

On Thursday, the June Democracy Forum, a civic group, held a rally near Cheong WaDae and demanded the President resign.

“We are appalled by the fact that Choi controlled not only the private life of the President but also state affairs including the President’s speeches and economic, diplomatic, security and personnel issues,” it said in a statement.

Dozens of civic groups across the country organized rallies and press conferences including in Incheon; Jeonju, North Jeolla Province; and Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province. They all denounced the Park administration, calling for her resignation. More candlelit vigils are scheduled nationwide over the weekend.

At a provincial government fair held at BEXCO in Busan, where Park made her first public appearance since her public apology over the scandal, six college students broke onto the scene and shouted for the President’s resignation and Choi’s arrest. They were removed by police.

Universities also joined the protests.

Following rallies by students, 32 faculty members of Sungkyunkwan University voiced their stance on the issue.

“We professors are ashamed as members of this society, having found out about the President privately abusing her power and wreaking havoc on state discipline,” they said, demanding that the President sack all of Cheong Wa Dae’s secretarial staff and draw up a neutral Cabinet.

“Constitutional reform and all management of state affairs must be placed in the hands of a new Cabinet. This is the way to prevent further social disorder and disgrace to the nation.”

At Kyungpook National University, 88 professors also made their voices heard.

“After taking office, the President has exhausted the lives of the people with her incompetence, irresponsibility, unfairness and corruption. She has trampled on the principles of democracy and is leading the country into an extreme state of chaos,” they said.

“The President is responsible for personalizing state affairs and wreaking havoc on the discipline of the state,” they said, urging her to step down.