S Koreans divided by news of President’s removal

[chahlley]

(Hot news Today Saturday 11 March 2017)

S Koreans divided by news of President’s removal

SEOUL — The rival crowds outside South Korea’s constitutional court yesterday for the verdict on impeached President Park Geun-hye epitomised the opposing passions and generational splits over the country’s sweeping political scandal.

Around 3,000 anti-Park demonstrators, mostly in their 20s to 40s, erupted with joy as the verdict was read out in a live television broadcast.

“We won, we won,” they chanted, waving banners.

“This is a victory of democracy,”  said 27-year-old student Ahn Yo-wool, wiping tears from her cheek.

Some South Koreans ate chicken to celebrate Ms Park’s removal in a satirical nod to a derogatory nickname for the former leader.

Ms Park’s opponents had called her “Chicken Geun-hye”, both a play on words — her family name rhymes with chicken in Korean — and a reference to what they see as her lack of intellect and stilted public speaking.

“Chicken head” is an insult in Korea meaning an idiot.

Millions of South Koreans, increasingly frustrated  by broad economic and social challenges, have gathered for weekly protests demanding Ms Park’s removal over a wide-ranging corruption scandal.

South Korea is Asia’s fourth-largest economy but growth is slowing and many complain of a lack of opportunity in a country dominated by large companies with close ties to the political establishment.

But some of Ms Park’s diehard supporters, mostly older conservatives with fond memories of the rule of her late father, dictator Park Chung-hee, still stand by her.

Several thousand flag-waving backers gathered a few hundred metres away from the anti-Park crowds yesterday, separated by a huge police presence — more than 20,000 were deployed. They were left stunned by the ruling, many of them openmouthed. They tried to march on the court and called for “destroying” it.

“We don’t accept this decision,” said Mr Cho Bong-am, 60, a kindergarten operator. “We will take to the street to fight to the end.”

Ms Park has maintained a hardline stance on North Korea and many of her heartland voters blame her removal on machinations by Pyongyang.

When the police blocked them, some of the mostly elderly protesters attacked the officers with flagpoles, hurling water bottles and pieces of the sidewalk pavement.

Some attempted to pull away police buses blocking their way. Two died, including one who was hit on the head by a speaker falling from a vehicle roof, according to Yonhap news agency.

“Justice is dead. I think the government must now declare a martial law and wipe out these pro-Pyongyang leftists”, said 71-year-old shopkeeper Ahn Moon-yung.
The front-runner in polls for the presidential race, due within 60 days, is leftist Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party. If he wins, said Mr Bae Soo-rok, 58, who wore a military uniform and said he was a retired marine, “we will all rise up and oust him from power within a year”. AGENCIES

S KOREANS URGED TO  END RALLIES

South Korea’s acting head of state Hwang Kyo-ahn has pleaded with opponents and supporters of ousted President Park Geun-hye to stop their fierce rallies, which have divided the streets of capital Seoul.

“There would be people who feel they cannot understand or accept (the court ruling), but it’s now time to move on and end all conflict and standoffs,” he said.

“It’s not ideal to expand the conflict by continuing the protests outside on the streets ...

Precious lives were lost during the rallies today,  and this must no longer happen.”