The seventh round of all-people candlelight rally
The seventh round of all-people candlelight rally
The all-people actions against Park Geun-hye were launched again in Seoul and at more than 80 places in south Korea on Dec. 10. 1.04 million people took part in the candlelight actions. Broad segments of people conducted preliminary rallies in different parts of Seoul, yelling out Park’s resignation.
After the rally, hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the Gwanghwamun Plaza and started march from three routes to reach up to one hundred meters before the Blue House. They chanted slogans “Prompt step down of Park” and “Arrest Park Geun-hye, Kim Gi-choon and Woo-Byung-woo” toward the Cheongwadae. A candlelit action took place at the Gwanghwamun Plaza. Protesters thronged into Gwanghwamun Plaza and the turnout swelled to over 800 000 people. The speakers at the rally said that the motion on Park’s impeachment was passed through the parliament, but it is no more than the start and warned Park that the people fix their eyes on her.
Calling upon the people to call the passage of the motion on Park’s impeachment as the “civilian revolution”, they asserted that Park should leave office immediately at the bidding of the people. They conducted propaganda activities in demand of Park’s arrest. The protesters threw away pictures of lawmakers of the pro-Park faction within the Saenuri Party, who came out against the motion on Park’s impeachment, on the ground of the plaza to tread their pictures down. Darkness closed in the plaza, however, shouts of “Park, Out” were heard. They launched the second candlelit action towards the Cheongwadae. The people held a meeting before Cheongwadae till late at night to urge Park Geun-hye's resignation.
Such actions were also staged in Busan, Daejeon, Daegu and other areas. The south Korean people impeached Park from the beginning of their candlelit rally with the result that the National Assembly approved the motion on her impeachment, they noted. As Park said that she would respect the intention of the parliament, she should step down herself before the Constitutional Court makes a decision, they noted. The retirement of head of Saenuri Party from his parliamentary career and political circle is the last apology to the people, they said. Noting that the conservative force would raise their heads if the people are careless of their moves, they stressed that they would hold lighted candles until Park is ousted from the presidency and corrupted elements such as the Saenuri Party and conglomerate are liquidated. |