Ex-Assembly Speakers urge Park's resignation
Former National Assembly speakers and other elderly politicians, along with religious figures, gather at the Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul, Sunday, to discuss the scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil. Park Gwan-yong, third from left, who was the 16th Assembly speaker, arranged the meeting. Participants included the 19th Speaker Kang Chang-hee, sixth from right, and Kwon Noh-gab, fourth from left, a senior adviser to the second-largest opposition People’s Party. / Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
Former National Assembly speakers and other elderly politicians agreed Sunday to call on President Park Geun-hye to step down by April at the latest to overcome a crisis caused by the influence-peddling scandal involving her and her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil.
The agreement was made at a meeting arranged by the 16th Assembly Speaker,Park Gwan-yong.
He said the participants urged Park to announce her decision to step down at the earliest possible date and actually leave office at least by April to minimize confusion amid upcoming political events such as the presidential election scheduled for December next year.
They also called on the Assembly to promptly pick a bipartisan prime minister, saying the President needs to delegate most of her power to him or her.
The former politicians called on the ruling and opposition parties to push for revising the Constitution to change the current five-year, single term presidency. They cited that the current Constitution, introduced in 1987, gave birth to an “imperial presidency,” calling it a major cause of the ongoing high-profile political scandal.
Other participants included the 19th Speaker Kang Chang-hee and senior adviser to the second-largest opposition People’s Party, Kwon Noh-gab.
Their meeting came at a time when senior politicians and religious figures have been joining calls for the resignation of the President.
The elderly politicians, who participated in a ceremony, Nov. 22, to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of former President Kim Young-sam, said Park should take responsibility and heed the public’s demand.
“Park has seriously spoiled the reputation of the country. I felt ashamed,” said Kim Duck-ryong, former floor leader of the Grand National Party, the predecessor of the ruling Saenuri Party.
Former Prime Minister Lee Hong-koo urged Park to bear in mind the late President Kim’s efforts to promote democracy.
Kim, who served as president from 1993 to 1998, is also credited with ending decades of military rule.
Protestant pastor Hong Jung-gil said in a letter sent to the press, Nov. 22 that the best way for Park to redeem herself would be to quit power with “all the evil forces that used the President to satisfy their selfish interests and desires.”
He said when a North Korean asked him what democracy is, he answered that “under the system, even the head of the state goes to jail if he or she performs any unlawful acts.”
“Punishing the President will be a shortcut to prove the superiority of democracy,” he said.
Father Ham Se-woong, together with Lee Man-yeol, former president of the National Institute of Korean History, and Kang Man-kil, professor emeritus of Korea University, also called for Park’s resignation, Nov. 19.