South Korean lawmakers introduce motion to impeach President Park Geun-hye

Two months ago, South Korean President Park Geun-hye offered a rare public apology about what was then just a brewing scandal — one that has since mushroomed into a political crisis, prompting millions to participate in historic street protests in recent weeks.

Now Park, the daughter of an assassinated former military dictator, might have only one day left in office.

In response to an influence-peddling scandal that has roiled the political scene here, the country’s National Assembly on Thursday introduced an impeachment motion that could remove her from office as early as Friday.

If impeached, Park, who has offered two subsequent apologies, would be forced from office temporarily as a constitutional court weighs her case and decides whether permanent removal is warranted. The nation’s prime minister, a lawyer and political independent, is expected to take over during that process, which could take as long as six months.

Despite the president’s single-digit approval ratings and enormous political pressure on her to resign, the impeachment vote is not certain. The opposition parties are just short of the two-thirds vote they need to remove Park without some members of her own party.

And Friday is the lawmakers’ last scheduled workday of the year.

Opposition leaders say they expect defections from the ruling party against Park, whose father, Park Chung-hee, ruled South Korea in the 1970s. But they’ve stepped up the pressure this week, grilling business leaders and presidential aides about the scandal in advance of the vote. They’ve also reminded the nation about the still-festering controversy over Park’s handling of the Sewol ferry sinking, a tragedy that killed 304 people, many of them high school students.

“We’re at a crossroad that will determine whether we make progress in the history of the Republic of Korea or not,” said one of the opposition leaders, Woo Sang-ho of the Democratic Party. “Our choices will set the course of history and become a new standard.”

The scandal centers on a Park confidant — a longtime friend from outside the government — who prosecutors say used her sway with the president to access state secrets and extort donations from the country’s largest business conglomerates.

The confidant, Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a deceased cult leader who also had a close relationship with the president over the years, has been jailed on an array of charges. As a result of the scandal, two presidential aides have been charged with abusing their power and a prominent music video director is accused of using ties to Choi to win lucrative contracts from state agencies and private companies. Numerous others have been questioned by investigators, and more charges are expected.

Prosecutors have said Park is a suspect in the case, though she enjoys immunity from prosecution in standard criminal cases as president. Prosecutors say the president must have known about Choi’s potentially unlawful activities. Park has acknowledged making management mistakes in her office but has denied acting outside the public’s interest or doing anything to enrich herself.

The top bosses at eight of the country’s most powerful businesses, including the chief executives of Samsung, Lotte and Hyundai, testified this week. They said they remembered few details about granting donations to Choi, who directed more than $60 million to foundations she controlled.

One executive recalled buying a dressage horse for Choi’s daughter, Chung Yoo-ra, who has been pulled into the scandal. Her high school diploma was recently annulled by education officials who say her attendance records were fabricated. Her admission to Seoul’s prestigious Ewha Womans University was also recently revoked amid questions about whether she had received favorable treatment.

Samsung’s chief, Lee Jae-yong — perhaps the country’s most powerful man — repeatedly apologized during the grilling by lawmakers this week. He said he doesn’t recall any pressure from Park to make donations to Choi.

Still, he said, “I’ll try my best not to get involved in something like this in the future.”

The impeachment vote comes a week after Park, bowing to pressure from recent rallies, promised to leave office early if the National Assembly could set a path for an orderly power transfer.

“It’s ... the president’s duty to make sure state affairs are transferred in a stable and peaceful manner, based on constitutional order,” Park’s chief of staff, Han Gwang-ok, told lawmakers this week.

The parties haven’t been able to reach a deal, focusing on impeaching the president or forcing her to resign immediately — a decision that would lead to a snap presidential election in two months. Members of her own party had hoped she would plan to step down in the spring, perhaps quelling the controversy while giving time for presidential candidates to prepare.

A normal presidential election is already scheduled for December 2017, and Park would have been term-limited from office in February 2018.

Instead, the march to impeachment has moved forward — and could well succeed.

“You saw the public’s anger in the candlelights,” said Park Jie-win, another opposition leader, referring to the massive anti-Park vigils in recent weeks. “I urge you to join us in building a new Republic of Korea on Friday.”

If the vote succeeds, presidential power would be handed temporarily to Hwang Kyo-ahn, a former prosecutor and justice minister who became prime minister in 2015. Park appointed Hwang, 63, to the post to replace Lee Wan-koo. Lee stepped down amid allegations that he accepted a $27,000 payment from a businessman who left a suicide note naming officials and payment amounts.

Stiles is a special correspondent.

ALSO

South Koreans don’t know what to be more worried about: their scandal-scarred president or Donald Trump

Woman at center of South Korean political scandal: ‘I’ve committed wrongs for which I deserve to die’

North Korean propaganda shows imagery of the South’s leader being blown up