South Korea enters crucial week with impeachment vote on Park
South Korea enters crucial week with impeachment vote on Park
Published: 01:45 pm Dec 05, 2016
SEOUL: South Korea is entering potentially one of the most momentous weeks in its recent political history, with impeachment looming for President Park Geun-hye as ruling party dissenters align with the opposition in a strengthening effort to force her out.
Anti-Park lawmakers in the ruling Saenuri Party said Monday that about 35-40 of them will vote for Park's impeachment Friday. Those votes, when combined with 172 from opposition and anti-Park independent lawmakers, should be enough to impeach her.
The decision by the anti-Park ruling party lawmakers came after hundreds of thousands of people turned up for a rally Saturday calling for Park's ouster, the sixth straight weekend of demonstrations.
The opposition submitted an impeachment motion over the weekend, accusing Park of letting a longtime confidante manipulate government affairs.