Conservative South Koreans rally to support Park, more big protests loom
Supporters of South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who has been impeached over a corruption scandal, rallied on Saturday for her reinstatement, countering weeks of large protests calling on her to step down immediately.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters have thronged the streets of Seoul on recent weekends, demanding her resignation over the influence-peddling scandal involving a close friend. Another such rally was set for later on Saturday.
Park's presidential powers have been suspended since a Dec. 9 impeachment vote in parliament was passed by a wide margin, which set the stage for her to become South Korea's first elected leader to be thrown out of office. The Constitutional Court must first uphold the motion. Park is accused of colluding with long-time friend Choi Soon-sil, who has been indicted and is in custody, to pressure big businesses to make contributions to non-profit foundations backing presidential initiatives.
