25 November 2016•Update: 25 November 2016
By Alex Jensen
SEOUL
South Korea’s ruling Saenuri Party is losing a battle to protect its former leader, President Park Geun-hye, as it emerged Friday that at least 40 lawmakers from her own party back her impeachment.
A Saenuri breakaway council made the announcement on the same day Gallup Korea unveiled the president’s latest approval rating at a new record-low four percent.
Organizers of a fifth consecutive weekend of protests expect up to two million people to gather in Seoul this Saturday to demand Park’s resignation over a scandal that has led to multiple arrests and raids of presidential aides and conglomerates.
State prosecutors are unable to indict a sitting president although they have upset Park’s office by publicly alleging that she shared government secrets with a private confidante and was complicit in an influence-peddling scheme.
With an independent investigation also set to start, the opposition bloc making up more than half of the 300-seat National Assembly has made clear its determination to pass an impeachment motion on either Dec. 2 or 9.
Ex-Saenuri chairman Kim Moo-sung’s open push to impeach his old ally this week appears to have offered momentum to a cause that requires a two-thirds majority.
Only 28 ruling party votes would be needed to support the motion assuming all opposition and independent lawmakers maintain their anti-Park stance.
The Constitutional Court would then have to approve the president’s impeachment, triggering an election ahead of schedule because Park is not due to leave office until February 2018.
Saenuri floor leader Chung Jin-suk put up a fight in response to his party’s internal rebellion -- according to local news agency Yonhap, he called for an “orderly” political solution.
But the ruling camp is running out of delaying tactics having seen the main opposition Democratic Party win a shock plurality of seats in April’s general election.
Outgoing United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon could yet be the Saenuri Party’s savior if he decides to run for president on his return to South Korea next year.
