2016 South Korean protests
| 2016 South Korean protests | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Date | 26 October 2016 – present (1 month, 1 week and 1 day) | |||
| Location |
 South Korea nationwide | |||
| Causes | Corruption (Mainly 2016 South Korean political scandal) | |||
| Goals | Resignation of Park Geun-hye, punishment of Choi Soon-sil | |||
| Methods | Civil resistance, demonstrations, protest marches, picketing | |||
| Status | Ongoing | |||
| Parties to the civil conflict | ||||
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| Lead figures | ||||
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| Number | ||||
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In 2016, a series of protests against President Park Geun-hye have occurred throughout South Korea. Since the initial demonstration on October 26, 2016, thousands of South Korean protesters denounced the Park administration's political scandal and called for the resignation of Park Geun-hye.[8][9]
Background
In October 2016, a political scandal erupted over President Park Geun-hye's undisclosed links to Choi Soon-sil. Choi Soon-sil, a woman with no security clearance and no official position, was found to have been giving secret counsel to the president.
Choi Soon-sil had known President Park since the 1970s when her father, Choi Tae-min, was then-president Park Chung-hee's mentor while the family was still grieving from the assassination of then first-lady Yuk Young-soo.[10] Choi at that time claimed that the shamanic leader can channel communication to her dead mother.[11]
Both have remained friends since, even up to the point when Park Geun-hye became president. Park's imperial manner during her tenure has raised suspicions due to her lack of communication with parts of the government and the press.[12]
Choi, who has no official government position, was revealed to have access to confidential documents and information for the president, and acted as a close confidant for the president. Choi and President Park's senior staff used their influence to extort W77.4 billion (~ $774M) from Korean chaebols – family-owned large business conglomerates – setting up two media and sports-related foundations, the Mir and K-sports foundations.[13][14][15] She embezzled money during the process, and it is reported that some of them were used to support her daughter Chung Yoo-ra's dressage activities in Germany. She is also accused of rigging the admissions process at Ewha Womans University to help her daughter get accepted at the university. Ah Jong-bum, a top presidential aide, was arrested for abusing power and helping Choi; he denied wrongdoing and claims he simply followed presidential orders.[16][17]
On October 25, 2016, Park Geun-hye publicly acknowledged her close ties with Choi. On October 28, Park dismissed key members of her top office staff and Park's opinion rating dropped to 5%, the lowest ever for a sitting South Korean president.[18][19][9][20] Her approval rating ranged from 1 to 3% for Korean citizens under 60 years of age, while it remained higher at 13% for over 60 years age group.[21]
This also prompted President Park to fire members of her cabinet and the prime minister of South Korea in order to redirect the public's criticism. In particular, the sacking of the prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn has resulted in a controversy, due to the claim that his firing had been done via a text message.[22][23]
Protests
The revelations about the relationship of Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil caused mass demonstrations in Seoul.[24][25] Protesters called for the resignation of Park Geun-hye.[9]
On 1 November, Reuters reported a man used an excavator to crash into the front entrance of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office building during a protest in Seoul.[26]
Four officers were injured during the demonstrations, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, which cited police. Twenty-six protesters were taken to hospital with injuries and a further 29 were treated at the scene of the protests, Yonhap quoted the Fire Department as saying.[27]
Not all Koreans are calling for the president to resign, however. A short drive away from the main protest, a group of conservative protesters gathered outside Seoul station in defense of the president.[28]
A large number of South Korean high school students also joined the crowds after taking the college entrance test.[29]
On 4 December, 2.3 million people hit the streets in a nationwide anti-president rally, which is the largest in the country's history.[30]
References
- ↑ "시민들 "평생 처음 시위"..경찰도 "나라사랑 이해"".
- ↑ "더 격해진 민심…주말 서울 '박근혜 하야' 촛불 넘쳤다(종합)".
- ↑ "민중총궐기 100만명 돌파…'역대 최다 기록'".
- ↑ "Thousands protest South Korean president as older conservatives grumble".
- ↑ "Anti-Park protests flare up across the country; 600,000 people gathered in Seoul". THE KOREA TIMES. 20 November 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
- ↑ "Hundreds of thousands gather in South Korea for fifth week of protests against Park".
- ↑ "More than 2 million take to streets calling for Park's resignation".
- ↑ "South Korea: thousands of protesters call for president to resign". The Guardian. 29 October 2016. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
- 1 2 3 "Thousands protest in South Korea, demand president quit over scandal". Reuters.
- ↑ "AP EXPLAINS: What we know about S. Korean political scandal". Associated Press. October 26, 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- ↑ "A Presidential Friendship Has Many South Koreans Crying Foul". New York Times. October 27, 2016.
- ↑ "The Woman at the Center of South Korea's Political Storm Begs for Forgiveness". Time Magazine. October 31, 2016.
- ↑ "박 대통령 독대한 대기업들 미르·K 출연금 유독 많았다". 3 November 2016.
- ↑ "[안선희의 밑줄 긋기] 재벌들이 피해자라고?". 3 November 2016.
- ↑ "[단독]"미르-K스포츠재단 모금, 안종범 수석이 지시했다"". 1 November 2016.
- ↑ "검찰, 안종범 전 정책조정수석 긴급체포…서울남부구치소로 이송". 2 November 2016.
- ↑ "안종범 "대통령 지시 따른 것"…강제 모금은 부인". KBS NEWS. 3 November 2016 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "South Korea scandal: President Park's friend Choi arrested". BBC News. 3 November 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ↑ "데일리 오피니언 제234호(2016년 11월 1주)" [Daily Opinion No. 234 (November 1, 2016)]. Gallup Korea.
- ↑ "Park orders secretaries to resign over 'Choi Soon-sil scandal'". The Korea Times. October 28, 2016.
- ↑ "President Park breaks YS's record, approval rating at 5 percent". Oh My News. November 6, 2016.
- ↑ "Left wings outrage regarding text firing of Hwang Kyo-ahn". KyungHyang.
- ↑ "Prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn 'fired' by president Park via a text message". Insight.
- ↑ "전국에서 '최순실 의혹' 진상규명·대통령 퇴진 요구 집회".
- ↑ "'분노한 민심'…서울 도심 '박근혜 하야' 촉구 대규모 집회".
- ↑ "South Korean protester crashes into prosecutors' office with excavator - Reuters.com". Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- ↑ "South Korean protesters march against President again". CNN. 12 November 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
- ↑ "Thousands protest South Korean president as older conservatives grumble". Reuters. 19 November 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
- ↑ "Thousands protest South Korean president as older conservatives grumble". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 November 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
- ↑ "People order Park to step down".
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