By Kim Se-jeong
Outside the Seoul court where former President Park Geun-hye’s first trial hearing took place Tuesday, her supporters gathered to demand her immediate release.
The supporters waved flags and held signs in support of the impeached ex-president who is being tried on 18 charges in a corruption scandal. The signs read: “Park Geun-hye is innocent! Release her,” “Truth will eventually come” and “We still support you, President Park.”
Some supporters saluted Park as the van carrying her arrived at the court compound.
There was a brief outbreak of violence; some supporters cried out to Park and attempted to fight with journalists but quickly backed down to the police.
On March 10, Park supporters injured journalists and damaged cameras and other equipment outside the Constitutional Court. Chaos also erupted among the supporters themselves, with three dying due to either health problems or accidents. On Monday, the police requested arrest warrants for three supporters who allegedly instigated the violence on March 10.
The supporters stayed together outside the court until the hearing was over. Some also met outside the nearby prosecution building and condemned it.
Park’s younger sister, Geun-ryeong, was received with applause from supporters as she arrived at the court to attend the trial.
Pro-Park websites were filled with messages deploring Park’s indictment and rage against the prosecution and judges. “Looking at Park in handcuffs, my heart breaks,” one wrote.
“I feel like I am living in North Korea,” another wrote.
The gathering of Park supporters initially came in response to protesters who since the end of October have taken their outrage with the former president to the streets amid the spiraling bribery scandal.
Park’s supporters are mainly in their 50s or older with middle-class backgrounds and a huge nostalgia for Park Chung-hee, her father, who achieved economic growth at the cost of human rights and democracy.
Yet, the pro-Park supporters were sharply divided after her impeachment in March. The investigation into its members who allegedly instigated violence drove a wedge in between them. The second crack came after the presidential election which saw many leaving to support Hong Joon-pyo, instead of Cho Won-jin, the candidate who represented the pro-Park group.