Crisis may spell end of South Korea's Park presidency
Subject
Political crisis in South Korea.
Significance
President Park Geun-hye, whose leadership has been characterised foremost by scandals and the failure of every major policy initiative, faces her worst crisis yet. She admitted on October 25 to sharing official documents with Choi Sun-sil -- a long-time associate who has no formal post or security clearance. Park sacked all her senior secretaries on October 28, and the next day prosecutors searched the presidential office, and demonstrators called on Park to resign. Yesterday Choi flew back from Germany, where she had been lying low since July, saying she will co-operate with investigations. To opposition outrage, no move was made to arrest her upon arrival.
Impacts
- The crisis is deeply negative for governance, domestically and abroad, especially if lines of authority in Seoul become contested.
- Park now has no standing left to press any elements of her fraying economic reform agenda.
- The National Assembly, normally secondary to the executive branch, will become the main locus of power for the time being.
- Though the ruling party seeks to distance itself, the scandal boosts the opposition's chances of regaining the presidency.
- The already flagging push (which Park spearheaded) for greater international pressure on Pyongyang will lose further momentum.
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