UPDATES WITH OPPOSITION RESPONSE
By Alex Jensen
SEOUL (AA) - South Korean President Park Geun-hye said Tuesday she will allow lawmakers to decide whether to “shorten” her term, as she made her third public apology since becoming embroiled in a corruption scandal last month.
Stopping short of an immediate resignation, Park conceded she would follow steps determined by the country’s National Assembly -- where the liberal opposition parties combined hold a majority of seats.
“If the ruling and opposition parties devise a method to minimize any confusion or vacuum in state governance and ensure the stable transition of government, I will step down in line with the timeline and legal procedures,” the president said during a televised address.
Park refused to answer questions from reporters who called out to her as she walked away from a crescendo of camera shutters.
The main opposition Democratic Party quickly rejected her offer as a “trick” and vowed to push ahead with an earlier plan to hold an impeachment vote this Friday after five weekends of street rallies demanding the president’s resignation.
On Saturday, close to two million people protested nationwide.
“What people want is her immediate resignation, not dragging out and dodging the responsibility to the parliament,” said a party spokesperson.
Anti-Park lawmakers from the ruling Saenuri Party would likely ensure a two-thirds majority for an impeachment motion, thus passing the final decision to the Constitutional Court.
The president would become her country’s first leader to be impeached, but for now she is protected from criminal prosecution by her position.
Park has so far resisted questioning by state prosecutors after they named her as a suspect in their power abuse case against several aides as well as figures close to her arrested secret confidante Choi Soon-sil.
A list of accusations against them includes pressuring conglomerates to make donations, using their influence for personal gain, and leaking government documents.
Although Park denied pursuing “personal interests” during her political career of around two decades, a lawmaker from the main opposition claimed she could be hit with a lengthy prison sentence once removed from office.
“Based on our calculations, advised by legal experts, Park may face a 45-year jail term,” the Democratic Party’s Yun Ho-jung was quoted as saying by local news agency Yonhap.