South Korean protesters urge lawmakers to pass impeachment bill against president
Title: South Korean protesters urge lawmakers to pass impeachment bill against president
Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (DECEMBER 9, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PROTESTERS GATHERED IN FRONT OF SOUTH KOREAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PROTESTERS ON TRACTOR AND POLICE OFFICERS SURROUNDING PROTESTERS PROTESTERS SITTING ON TRACTOR, HOLDING POSTER / LETTERS ON POSTER READING (Korean): "ARREST PARK GEUN-HYE" PROTESTER HOLDING POSTER / LETTERS ON POSTER READING (Korean): "SAENURI PARTY, JOIN THE IMPEACHMENT MOTION" PROTESTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS STANDING, AND PROTESTERS ON TRACTOR PROTESTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS STANDING AND WOMAN PROTESTING, HOLDING POSTER / LETTERS ON POSTER READING (Korean): "IMPEACHMENT" POLICE OFFICERS SCUFFLING WITH PROTESTER TRACTOR MOVING, PROTESTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS STANDING, AND MEDIA FILMING POLICE OFFICERS TALKING PROTESTER RESISTING PROTESTERS LAYING DOWN ON GROUND PROTESTERS' ARMS CROSSED PROTESTERS PUSHING AGAINST POLICE OFFICERS (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SPOKESMAN OF KOREAN CONFEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS, NAM JUNG-SU, SAYING: "We are demanding for the impeachment and resignation of President Park Geun-hye. We are gathered in front of the National Assembly to demand the assembly to accept the public sentiment and impeach (the president) immediately." PROTEST IN PROGRESS IN FRONT OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY POLICE OFFICERS STANDING POLICE OFFICERS HOLDING SHIELD / LETTER ON SHIELD READING (Korean and English): "POLICE" PROTESTERS STANDING PROTESTERS HOLDING POSTERS PROTESTERS HOLDING POSTERS STANDING AND MAN BLOWING HORN PROTESTERS BLOWING HORN PROTESTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS STANDING FLAG FLYING / LETTERS ON FLAG READING (Korean): "IMPEACH PARK GEUN-HYE, RESIGN" EXTERIOR OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FLAG OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Keywords: protest parliament lawmakers impeachment vote president park geun-hye national assembly
Location: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
City: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
Reuters ID: LVA0015C5VIH1
Story Text:South Korean protesters rallied in front of the parliament building on Friday (December 9) to urge lawmakers to pass the impeachment bill against President Park Geun-hye.
Parliament was closed to the public on Friday on orders of the speaker, and hours ahead of the scheduled vote, anti-Park activists pushed against police as they tried to drive two tractors up to the main gate, where more than 1,000 protesters were gathered.
Police subsequently shut down traffic on a 10-lane highway in front of the parliament's grounds and blockaded a bridge leading to the area.
"We are demanding the impeachment and resignation of President Park Geun-hye. We are gathered in front of the National Assembly to demand the assembly to accept the public sentiment and impeach (the president) immediately," said spokesman of Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, Nam Jung-su.
President Park, engulfed in an influence-peddling scandal, faces a historic impeachment vote in parliament on Friday that could see her become the country's first democratically elected leader to be ousted from office.
There have been mass rallies every Saturday for the past six weeks calling for Park to quit, and opinion polls show overwhelming public support for her impeachment.
The secret balloting and counting was expected to take roughly one hour.
Park, 64, is accused of colluding with a friend and a former aide, both of whom have been indicted by prosecutors, to pressure big businesses to donate to two foundations set up to back her policy initiatives.
She has denied wrongdoing but apologized for carelessness in her ties with her friend, Choi Soon-sil.