By Kim Se-jeong
Koreans took to the streets Saturday to demand the arrest of the Samsung scion whose arrest warrant was rejected by a court last week, in the 13th candlelit protest since the first one calling for President Park Geun-hye to resign amid an influence-peddling scandal.
Braving snow and cold, hundreds of thousands of protesters also demanded the Constitutional Court speed up reviewing President Park’s impeachment. The court has 180 days to decide Park’s fate. The organizers estimated almost 350,000 joined the protests across the country, with more than 300,000 in Seoul alone.
On Thursday, a Seoul court rejected a warrant to arrest Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics and the Samsung Group's de factor leader.
Protesters carried placards reading “Arrest Lee Jae-yong,” and “Do not be lenient on big businessmen.” Some protesters staged a street performance of arresting Lee and putting him in jail.
“By law, people who embezzle more than 5 billion won should spend up to five years in prison,” a lawyer said. “For Lee, the amount is 9 billion won and he was allowed to go free. It makes no sense.”
Protesters also condemned Kim Ki-choon and Cho Yoon-sun, former presidential aides arrested for creating a list of 9,000 artists critical of the government.
At the end of the protest, protesters marched to the Constitutional Court and Cheong Wa Dae.
Those who support President Park held a counter protest nearby, condemning the independent counsel’s office investigating the scandal.
The candlelit protests, which began at the end of October, prompted the National Assembly to impeach the president. In November, one protest drew more than 1 million people in one day ― a record in the nation’s civil movement history.
The protests have grown smaller since the impeachment motion was passed on Dec. 9, but continue to attract people who want President Park’s resignation.
There is no gathering scheduled for this Saturday because of the lunar New Year holiday.