[Editorial] It’s not spring yet - the 100th day of candlelight protests

Posted on : 2017-02-06 16:57 KST Modified on : 2017-02-06 16:57 KST
Participants in the 14th weekly protest for President Park Geun-hye’s immediate resignation call for a decision on Park’s impeachment before the end of February
Participants in the 14th weekly protest for President Park Geun-hye’s immediate resignation call for a decision on Park’s impeachment before the end of February

Feb. 5 marks the 100th day since candlelight protests against the Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil corruption and cronyism scandal began. On Feb. 4, 400,000 people gathered at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, calling for an extension of the Special Prosecutor’s investigation and for Park to step down immediately.

On Dec. 9, the National Assembly passed a bill to impeach the president, and since then, the number of participants in the protests, which had declined somewhat because of cold weather, has increased again. Shining in the much brighter candlelight, the will of the people is clear: they want the impeachment process to proceed swiftly and the investigation by the Special Prosecutor to be carried out to the fullest extent. They are demanding that the National Assembly implement institutional reforms for broad social changes.

The great increase in the number of protesters during this past weekend can be seen in part as a reaction to a recent pushback coming from President Park. The president has refused to comply with the Special Prosecutor’s court-ordered warrant to search the Blue House. Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who has been mentioned as a possible ruling party candidate for president and has been acting president since the impeachment bill passed, has also refused to cooperate with the Special Prosecutor. Far-right groups and some conservative media and politicians claim that the candlelight protests have turned sour and are lending their support to rallies opposing impeachment. All of this is confusing to the majority of the public, who want the impeachment process to be completed quickly so that life can return to normal.

Not just political circles but all sectors of society should take the candlelight protests seriously as an expression of the voice of the people. This week, the Constitutional Court will question core witnesses, including former Blue House Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon and Koh Young-tae, and will hand down a decision on the acceptability of witnesses and evidence proposed by President Park’s defense team. As Park Han-chul, former chief justice of the Constitutional Court, said upon his retirement, we hope the court will carry out its duties speedily. Though the Special Prosecutor’s Office was unable to follow through on the Blue House search warrant, it must push forward with its in-person questioning of President Park, planned for this week, in order to clearly determine whether she is guilty of illegal acts.

Political circles already seem to be looking ahead to the next presidential election, but before that, some fundamental institutional reforms must be put in place to root out the evils committed by the Park Geun-hye regime. We must not forget that the candlelight protesters are calling not only for the president’s impeachment but also for reforms of chaebol, public prosecutors, and the media. During the February temporary session of the National Assembly, legislation must be passed to revise commercial laws needed for reforms in chaebol management systems and to establish an agency to conduct investigations of corruption among high-ranking public officials. This is the least we can do for the people of our country, who have fought for reform on the front lines, ahead of politicians. The warm spring that the candle-bearing people await is not here yet. Let us keep that in mind.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

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