Weighed down by a record-breaking candlelight vigil demanding President Park Geun-hye’s resignation, as well as the prospect of the prosecution questioning her, Cheong Wa Dae kept its silence Sunday over the president’s next move.

Though it is as yet unclear whether Park will defect, resign or hand over all practical power to an incoming prime minister, the presidential office alluded that a significant measure may be made soon.

“(All presidential officials) agreed that we should humbly accept the people’s voice and take it gravely,” said a Cheong Wa Dae official, after an urgent senior presidential secretaries’ meeting chaired by Chief of Staff Han Gwang-ok.

The meeting, which went on for an hour from 10 a.m., was originally scheduled for later in the afternoon but was moved forward following the nationwide candlelight vigil the previous night.

Protestors stazge a rally in downtown Seoul on Saturday evening, demanding President Park Geun-hye regsign. (Joint Press Corp)

But regarding more details of the forthcoming countermeasures, the Blue House continued to remain reserved.

“We gathered the opinion of each (senior presidential official) and are pondering various measures,” the official said.

It is thought that the presidential aides contemplated Park’s defection from the ruling conservative Saenuri Party and her handing over all practical power to the incoming prime minister.

The presidential office’s worry, however, is that neither defection nor withdrawing to take a backseat in state affairs will appease the public.

Despite Park’s actions so far -- including two public apologies, a shake-up of the Cabinet and of the presidential secretariat and her consent to let parliament appoint a prime minister -- her approval rating has remained in the record-low 5 percent range over the past two weeks.

The candlelight rally to demand Park’s resignation gathered up to 1 million participants in central Seoul and in various cities across the nation. Organizers said 1 million people attended the Seoul rally, whereas the police figure was 260,000.

“We are working non-stop to find a way to settle the aggravated public sentiment but nothing has yet been decided for sure,” another Cheong Wa Dae official admitted.

During the hours-long protest on Saturday, the presidential staff remained in an emergency stand-by mode, reporting the situation to the president on a real-time basis, according to officials.

With protestors holding the streets from City Hall through Gwanghwamun Square to Anguk Station, the rallying cries were said to be audible in Park’s presidential office and beyond.

On such circumstances, political observers are speculating that Park, with few options left to choose from, may deliver another address to the nation as early as within the week.

Amid this speculation, there is also rising talk of the prosecution questioning of the president, in line with the imminent indictment of Choi Soon-sil, the presidential confidante at the center of the corruption and influence-peddling scandal.

Should it take place, is it would be the first time in South Korea’s history that a standing president has faced questioning by investigators.

Prosecutors said earlier that they were considering opening a probe into Park around Nov. 20, which is when the legal period for Choi’s detention is due to expire.

By Bae Hyun-jung ()


koreaherald@heraldcorp.com