Seoul restaurants offer ‘impeachment discounts’

SEOUL — Protesters demanding that South Korean President Park Geun-hye step down marched on Saturday for a seventh straight weekend, a day after parliament voted overwhelmingly to impeach her and put the fate of her presidency in the hands of a nine-judge court. The crowd estimated by organizers at 200,000 packing a large square in downtown Seoul was significantly smaller than in recent weeks but festive, with performances of music between speeches calling for the early removal of Park. “We demand that the Constitutional Court make a decision of conscience and justice and do not act against the will of the people,” Jung Kang-ja, one of the leaders of a coalition of civic groups backing the rally, said in a speech. Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who became acting president late on Friday after the impeachment vote, called on authorities to ensure that rallies are peaceful and sought to calm anxiety over national security and to reassure financial markets The impeachment, which has to be reviewed and approved by the Constitutional Court within 180 days to remove Park from office, sets the stage for her to become the country’s first elected leader to be ousted in disgrace. Park, 64, the daughter of a former military ruler, is accused of colluding with a friend and a former aide, both of whom prosecutors have indicted, to pressure big businesses to donate to foundations set up to back her policy initiatives. Park, who is serving a single five-year term ending in February 2018, has denied wrongdoing but apologized for carelessness in her ties with her friend, Choi Soon-sil. For seven consecutive weekends, huge crowds have gathered in central Seoul in demonstrations calling for Park to step down. On Saturday, some restaurants in central Seoul were offering “impeachment discounts,” according to TV channel YTN. — Reuters