Hundreds of thousands protest against South Korean president
Park was impeached by parliament over a corruption scandal in December.
SEOUL (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans taking to the streets of Seoul Saturday in a candlelight rally to demand President Park Geun-hye steps down.
Park was impeached by parliament over a corruption scandal in December. She has been stripped of her powers while the Constitutional Court decides whether to uphold the impeachment.
Park has been accused of colluding with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, to pressure big businesses to donate to two foundations set up to back the president’s policy initiatives.
The daughter of a former military ruler, Park has denied any wrongdoing - as has Choi. If the impeachment is upheld, Park would become the first democratically elected leader to be removed from office.
A new election would have to be called in 60 days to pick a new leader for a full five-year term. A verdict is expected to be reached in March.
Organisers of the rally estimated the crowd at around 1 million people. It was largely peaceful, with songs and speeches striking a festive tone mixed with angry calls for Park to quit.
