Story highlights
Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans hit the streets for fifth consecutive week
Many South Koreans call for resignation of unpopular president after scandal
Approval ratings for South Korean President Park Geun-hye have dipped into single digits – and protests calling for her ouster swelled to hundreds of thousands of people Saturday.
In the face of cold and snow, demonstrators filed into the streets of Seoul over the growing scandal that has engulfed Park’s presidency and plunged the nation’s government into uncertainty.
Massive protests have broken out since late October, and the latest marked the fifth consecutive week of such an immense demonstration.
Organizers of Saturday’s protest had called for 2 million people to hit the streets – no small feat for a country of 50 million. Protesters clutched umbrellas, signs and candles near the Blue House, the presidential residence, in Seoul. Organizers also had called for rallies in other cities, too.
There were small gatherings of support for Park, but they were a fraction of the demonstration against her.
The political saga has consumed South Korea, a key US ally, with mounting concerns that the scandal will prevent the government from making major decisions.
