Seoul, South Korea (CNN) Massive protests roiled Seoul for the second consecutive weekend as hundreds of thousands of angry South Koreans took to the streets Saturday calling for President Park Geun-hye's resignation.

The march, which included families with young children, students -- some in school uniforms -- and union members, came as opposition to Park mounts following her unprecedented admission that she shared classified information with someone who lacked the necessary security clearance.

It was one of the biggest anti-government protests the country has seen in decades.

Four officers were injured during the demonstrations, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, which cited police. Twenty-six protesters were taken to hospital with injuries and a further 29 were treated at the scene of the protests, Yonhap quoted the Fire Department as saying.

It is unclear how the police and protesters were injured.

'Heard the voices of the people'

In a press briefing Sunday, Park's spokesman said the President had "heard the voices of the people yesterday with gravity and deeply realizes the seriousness of the current situation."

"Park is earnestly considering ways to normalize the state of affairs and fulfill her responsibility as President," he said.

Chu Mia, a protester who was wearing devil's horns and holding a Korean sign saying Park should step down, said, "We don't want to call her ... President anymore. We want a real government."

"We didn't give this person the power," she said.

Media and opposition parties have accused Choi of using her relationship with Park to accumulate millions of dollars in donations to her foundations.

Prosecutors arrested Choi on charges of abuse of power and attempted fraud.

Two of Park's former aides have also been arrested, according to Yonhap.

A former presidential secretary, An Chong-bum, 57, was arrested on suspicion of abuse of authority and attempted coercion, the outlet reported.

The court issued a warrant to arrest Jeong Ho-seong, the former secretary for private presidential affairs, over allegations of handing over state documents to Choi.

Leaders at last weekend's protests gave speeches between musical performances.

"This sort of corruption happened during her father's time, but 40 years later, things like this are met with resistance from the public," one protester told CNN.

Another, holding a candle and with her child beside her, said: "I brought my child so that she could witness democracy in action and also to show her this dark time in our history."

Park is South Korea's first female president. She's also the daughter of Park Chung-hee, the country's president from 1961 to 1979, who was assassinated by his own intelligence chief.

The late Park is hailed by some as the mastermind behind the country's current prosperity but criticized by others as a dictator who violated human rights and crushed dissent.

The classified information scandal, while rare and shocking in South Korea, isn't the only reason many are calling for her to step down.

Unions, in particular, have come out strongly against her.

As one of the protesters, high school student Chi Hee Jung, put it, "She says so many lies and she's a liar, but we didn't know that for a long time and now we have to speak loud."

She added, "She doesn't feel any guilt right now. That's why she's still the leader."

When asked if Park's apologies meant anything, she said, "It's a total lie."

Pledge to keep up protests

Protesters Saturday attempted to march to the presidential palace, known as the Blue House. It's less than a mile from the site of the protest, but roads were blocked by police buses and riot police.

Despite the serious nature of the calls for resignation, protesters seemed to be in good spirits. Many brought dogs, and there was live music, again, along with speeches. And they pledged to keep up the protests until they have answers -- and a resolution to the current political turmoil.</s>【서울=뉴시스】사진공동취재단 = 박근혜 대통령 퇴진을 요구하는 민중총궐기 대회가 열린 12일 오후 서울 광화문광장에서 시민들이 촛불을 들고 있다. 2016.11.12. photo@newsis.com

2008년 광우병 집회 당시 70만명 훨씬 넘어서【서울=뉴시스】임종명 기자 = 12일 서울 광화문광장 일대에서 열린 '2016 민중총궐기 대회' 참가자가 100만명에 달했다. 이는 2008년 광우병 촛불집회 이래 가장 많은 인원으로, 역대 최다 기록이다.민중총궐기투쟁본부, 백남기투쟁본부, 민주노총 등 1503개 시민사회단체의 연대체인 '박근혜 정권 퇴진 비상국민행동(퇴진행동)'은 이날 오후 7시30분께 "(광화문 일대에) 100만명이 모여 박근혜 퇴진을 외치고 있다"며 "부산, 대구 등 전국 주요 도시에도 수만명이 운집했다"고 밝혔다. 경찰 추산으로는 26만명 가량이다.종전 최대 기록이었던 2008년 6월10일 촛불집회 때의 기록은 주최측 추산 70만명(경찰추산 8만명)이었다.퇴진행동은 이날 오후 4시부터 '백남기·한상균과 함께 민중의 대반격을! 박근혜 정권 퇴진 2016 민중총궐기'를 열었다.집회 참가자수는 행진시간이 다가오면서 급증했다.주최측 추산 기준 본 집회가 열리기 전인 이날 오후 3시10분께 서울광장, 광화문광장 등에 모인 시민 등 집회참가자 수는 이미 12만여명(경찰 추산 11만7000명)에 육박했다.이어 행진 시작 10여분 전인 오후 5시 기준으로는 55만명(주최측 추산), 행진 시작 뒤인 오후 5시30분 기준 참가자는 65만명(주최측 추산, 경찰추산 22만명)에 달했다.이날 행진은 총 4개 코스로 진행됐다. 서울 도심을 지나는 행진대오를 보고 합류한 시민들도 적잖았다.실제 명동 일대 행진 중에는 롯데백화점 일대에 있던 시민들과 외국인 관광객 다수가 "박근혜 하야" "박근혜 퇴진" 등을 외치는 행진대오에 관심을 보였다.앞서 이철성 경찰청장은 이달 7일 기자간담회 자리에서 주최 측의 참가자수 추산과 경찰 추산이 차이나는 이유에 대해 설명한 바 있다. 그러면서 "경찰 추산 인원에 곱하기 3하면 전체 참가자 수(연인원)가 맞을 것"이라고 부연했다.경찰은 특정 시점의 참여 인원을 계산하는 반면 주최 측은 행사 시작부터 끝까지 참여한 모든 인원(연인원)을 기준으로 추산한다. 이 때문에 양측간 추산치에 차이가 발생한다.경찰은 대규모 인원을 집계하기 위한 방법으로 '페르미 추정법'을 사용한다. 특정한 범위를 선정해 대략적인 수치를 계산하고 이를 전체로 확대해 추정하는 방식이다.경찰은 3.3㎡(1평)에 성인 남성 9~10명이 설 수 있다고 가정한 뒤 페르미 추정법을 적용해 9724평인 광화문광장 일대가 가득 차는 경우 5만8000명이라고 추산한다.참가자들은 이날 오후 7시 기준 행진 코스 종점인 내자동 사거리 일대에 모여 '(박근혜)하야가'를 부르고 구호를 외치며 집회를 이어가고 있다.경찰은 이날 만일의 사태에 대비해 272개 중대 2만5000명의 경력을 투입했다. 행진 종점인 내자동 사거리에는 차벽을 설치한 상태다.경찰은 "세종로 사거리 부근 등 다수인파가 모여 비명소리가 들릴 정도"라며 "안전사고가 우려되니 주의바란다"고 전했다.jmstal01@newsis.com</s>Hundreds of thousands took to the the streets of Seoul on Saturday in the latest and largest protest against South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

Park come under fire for allowing her close confidante to have too much influence over her government policies for personal gains.

According to organizers, 850,000 people joined the candlelight rally at Gwanghwamun and a public square near Seoul City Hall, with the number expected to reach up to one million.

Police said they counted 220,000 people, surpassing the figure they expected by at least 50,000. About 25,000 officers were deployed to maintain order during the rally.

The event sets a new turnout record for a protest in Seoul, according to Yonhap news agency. The previous was set in June 2008, when an estimated 80,000 people were reported by the police to have attended a demonstration against the government’s decision to resume beef import from the US. At the time, organizers put the number at 700,000.

Later, the protesters marched to within a few blocks of the presidential Blue House compound. The move was previously banned for security reasons, but a local court gave the organizers the green light earlier on Saturday.

The march was marred by minor clashes with the police, after which at least seven people were taken to the hospital, according to Yonhap.

The Saturday rally was organized by three opposition parties, as well as hundreds of left-leaning civic groups, which joined forces to oppose President Park, who stands accused of cronyism and abuse of power. She allegedly allowed her close personal friend, Choi Soon-sil, to take advantage of their friendship and influence government decisions for personal gains.

Park has publicly apologized several times and fired key officials entangled in the scandal, but apparently failed to calm public outrage. Her approval rating remains at a record-low five percent, according to the latest Gallop poll, as calls for her to step down grow louder.

“If President Park continues to ignore the people’s demands and orders, the Democratic Party will stage a full-blown campaign for the ousting of the [Park] administration,” Choo Mi-ae, the party leader, said during the rally.

The party said it intends to push for a parliamentary probe into the alleged abuses starting next week.

The Park administration held a series of emergency meetings amid the scandal to discuss their reaction to the mass protests.

“As people are furious about [the] scandal, we are carefully watching the situation and trying to figure out a way to deal with it,” a presidential official told the news agency, declining to be named.

If Park caves in to the opposition, she will become the first South Korean president to not finish the five-year term.

Choi has been Park’s friend since the 1970s and, according to some commenters, has served as a surrogate sister for Park, who is estranged from her siblings. She was charged with abuse of power and fraud.</s>Seoul, South Korea (CNN) Massive protests roiled Seoul for the second consecutive weekend as hundreds of thousands of angry South Koreans took to the streets Saturday calling for President Park Geun-hye's resignation.

The march, which included families with young children, students -- some in school uniforms -- and union members, came as opposition to Park mounts following her unprecedented admission that she shared classified information with someone who lacked the necessary security clearance.

It was one of the biggest anti-government protests the country has seen in decades.

The President has already apologized twice , but that has done little to quell the rage of many South Koreans who say they feel betrayed. Indeed, some protesters are saying the marches won't stop until she resigns.

Chu Mia, a protester who was wearing devil's horns and holding a Korean sign saying Park should step down, said, "We don't want to call her ... President anymore. We want a real government."

"We didn't give this person the power," she said.

Media and opposition parties have accused Choi of using her relationship with Park to accumulate millions of dollars in donations to her foundations.

Prosecutors arrested Choi on charges of abuse of power and attempted fraud.

Two of Park's former aides have also been arrested, according to Yonhap News Agency.

A former presidential secretary, An Chong-bum, 57, was arrested on suspicion of abuse of authority and attempted coercion, the outlet reported.

The court issued a warrant to arrest Jeong Ho-seong, the former secretary for private presidential affairs, over allegations of handing over state documents to Choi.

Leaders at last weekend's protests gave speeches between musical performances.

"This sort of corruption happened during her father's time, but 40 years later, things like this are met with resistance from the public," one protester told CNN.

Another, holding a candle and with her child beside her, said: "I brought my child so that she could witness democracy in action and also to show her this dark time in our history."

Park is South Korea's first female President. She's also the daughter of Park Chung-hee, the country's President from 1961 to 1979, who was assassinated by his own intelligence chief. The late Park is hailed by some as the mastermind behind the country's current prosperity but criticized by others as a dictator who violated human rights and crushed dissent.

The scandal has led to not one by two public apologies by Park.

"All of this happening is my fault. It happened because of my neglect," she said in one televised address.

She addressed some of the rumors swirling around her, during this unusually tense period.

"There are even talks of me being immersed in a cult or resorting to shamanism in the Blue House (presidential palace). I would like to say that this is absolutely not true," she said.

Yet the classified information scandal, while rare and shocking in South Korea, isn't the only reason many are calling for her to step down.

Unions, in particular, have come out strongly against her.

As one of the protesters, high school student Chi Hee Jung, put it, "She says so many lies and she's a liar, but we didn't know that for a long time and now we have to speak loud."

She added, "She doesn't feel any guilt right now. That's why she's still the leader."

When asked if Park's apologies meant anything, she said, "It's a total lie."

Pledge to keep up protests

Protesters Saturday attempted to march to the presidential palace, known as the Blue House. It's less than a mile from the site of the protest, but roads were blocked by police buses and riot police.

Despite the serious nature of the calls for resignation, protesters seemed to be in good spirits. Many brought dogs, and there was live music, again, along with speeches. And they pledged to keep up the protests until they have answers -- and a resolution to the current political turmoil.</s>South Korean president Park Geun-hye faced mounting calls to step down as a record number of people at a massive rally on Saturday criticised her as unfit to rule over allegations she allowed a friend to meddle in state affairs and wield influence.

The protest rally in downtown Seoul drew more than half a million people, according to its organisers, many of whom were ordinary citizens who packed the main streets running through the city centre including a 12-lane thoroughfare.

They came with family, and students and young parents pushing buggies were among the crowd as were people in wheelchairs and crutches, in a sharp contrast from some previous rallies often dominated by militant unions and civic groups that had turned violent and clashed with police.

They chanted “Step down, step down, you must step down.”

“Of course she must step down,” Jung Sun-hee, a 42-year-old housewife who attended the rally with her husband and two pre-teen daughters, said. “I believe we need a new person to break through this situation, who will be better than this one.”

The crowd has been given a go-ahead by the court to march later in the evening to within a few blocks of the presidential Blue House compound, which had been previously disallowed by the police, citing security reasons.

It was the third weekend protest rally since Ms Park’s first public apology on October 25th where she admitted she had sought the advice of her friend, Choi Soon-sil, which only fuelled public anger and suspicion over the secret confidant who apparently held no official government position.

Another apology by Park and an offer to work with the parliamentary opposition to form a new cabinet and relinquish some power failed to calm public anger, prompting her opponents to say she did not grasp the gravity of the crisis at hand.

Members of main opposition parties joined the rally calling on Park to resign, indicating there was a growing opinion in parliament to take action to remove her from power, although there was no formal move yet to launch impeachment proceedings.

Park’s approval rating has dropped to 5 percent for a second week, according to a poll conducted by Gallup Korea and released on Friday, the lowest number for a South Korean president since such polling began under democratically elected leaders in 1988.

Gallup Korea, based in Seoul, is not affiliated with US-based Gallup, Inc.

No South Korean president has ever failed to finish their five-year term, but Ms Park has faced growing pressure from the public and political opponents to quit.

Ms Park has dismissed some of her most senior and closest advisers, and former aides have been arrested on charges of abuse of power. Choi, the friend who is believed to have been acquainted with the president since the 1970s, has been charged with abuse of power and fraud.</s>Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Park Geun-hye says she is "heartbroken" over the scandal

Hundreds of thousands of protesters have gathered in the South Korean capital, Seoul, to demand the resignation of President Park Geun-hye.

Large numbers of police officers are being deployed to prevent demonstrators reaching the presidential palace.

Ms Park is accused of allowing her friend, Choi Soon-sil, to access government documents without clearance.

The president, whose approval ratings have plummeted over the scandal, has said she is "heartbroken".

Organisers said one million had turned out to protest on Saturday, while police put the number at 260,000.

Image copyright Reuters

It is the latest in a series of mass rallies against her over the issue.

A friendship too far in Seoul?

Ms Choi is accused of trying to extort huge sums of money from South Korean companies and is under arrest on charges of fraud and abuse of power.

She was detained last week on suspicion of using her friendship with Ms Park to solicit business donations for a non-profit fund she controlled.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Ms Park has admitted letting Ms Choi help her with speeches, without security clearance

'Inescapable noise' - BBC's Stephen Evans in Seoul

The protesters are more raucous than they were last week - still peaceful but there's more chanting than there was then.

The focus of the protest is President Park Geun-hye, whose presidential compound (known as the Blue House because of its blue roof) is a short distance from the march and the main stage of the rally. If she is at home there, the noise will be inescapable.

Between 20,000 and 30,000 officers are on stand-by around the perimeter of the Blue House. Many are in riot gear. Huge barricades have been erected, with water cannon in position.

At the moment, President Park does not face any criminal charges, but people close to her are being investigated for corruption. Her close friend of 40 years' standing has been charged with setting up two foundations and soliciting millions of dollars from big companies, including Samsung, on the strength of her closeness to the president.

Perhaps worrying for President Park is the fact that two officials from her office are also being investigated. She remains untouched but with the investigators circling. So are the crowds.

Ms Park has apologised following the revelations, saying she "put too much faith in a personal relationship and didn't look carefully at what was happening".

"Sad thoughts trouble my sleep at night. I realise that whatever I do, it will be difficult to mend the hearts of the people, and then I feel a sense of shame.'"

She said anyone found to have done wrong would be punished, and that she was prepared to be investigated by prosecutors.

Prosecutors have also said they are expanding their official investigation.</s>SEOUL, South Korea -- Hundreds of thousands of people flooded Seoul's streets Saturday demanding the resignation of President Park Geun-hye amid a political scandal.

Police said about 260,000 people turned out for the latest rally against Park, whose presidency has been shaken by suspicion that she let a shadowy longtime confidante manipulate power from behind the scenes. Protest organizers estimated the crowd at 1 million.

Waving banners and signs, a sea of demonstrators jammed streets stretching about half a mile from City Hall to a large square in front of an old palace gate for several hours, roaring and applauding to speeches calling for Park's ouster.

Protesters also marched on a road in front of the palace gate and near the Blue House, the mountainside presidential office and residence, carrying candles, blowing horns and banging drums, while shouting "Park Geun-hye, resign!"

Bae Dong-san, a 45-year-old man, said Park's government has "worsened the living conditions of workers, completely messed up state governance and monopolized state affairs with her secret inner circle."

"It feels much better to shout together with many other people," he said.

Despite rising public anger, opposition parties have yet to seriously push for Park's resignation or impeachment over fears of triggering a backlash from conservative voters and negatively impacting next year's presidential election. However, they have threatened to campaign for Park's resignation if she doesn't distance herself from state affairs.

The protest Saturday was the largest in the capital since June 10, 2008, when police said 80,000 people took part in a candlelight vigil denouncing the government's decision to resume U.S. beef imports amid mad cow fears. Organizers estimated that crowd at 700,000. In the summer of 1987, millions rallied in Seoul and other cities for weeks before the then-military government caved in to demands for free presidential elections.

Train and express bus tickets to Seoul were difficult to get from some areas Friday evening and Saturday morning, with the protest reportedly drawing tens of thousands of people from other cities.

"I have never been interested in politics and I don't even have a TV at home ... but unbelievable things have been happening, and I came out today because I didn't want to feel defeated as a South Korean citizen," said Cho Jong-gyu, who took a five-hour bus ride from the small southern island of Geoje to participate in the rally, where he quietly held a cardboard sign calling for Park to resign.

Lee Ryeo-hwa, a Seoul resident who took her three children to the rally, the youngest of them hanging on her front in a baby carrier, said Park had to go because she "created this mess with her undemocratic leadership style and refusal to communicate."

"People said it was a bad idea to bring my kids here, but I want them to remember today ... and learn that democracies are built on participation," Lee said.

In addition to allegedly manipulating power, the president's confidante, Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a late cult leader who emerged as Park's mentor in the 1970s, is also suspected of exploiting her presidential ties to bully companies into donating tens of millions of dollars to foundations she controlled.

In an attempt to stabilize the situation, Park said Tuesday that she would let the opposition-controlled parliament choose her prime minister. But opposition parties say her words are meaningless without specific promises about transferring much of her presidential powers to a new No. 2.

Moon Jae-in, a lawmaker from the main opposition Minjoo Party who lost to Park in the 2012 presidential election, has even demanded that Park surrender her authority to command South Korea's military.

The opposition is also demanding a separate investigation into the scandal by a special prosecutor.

Prosecutors have arrested Choi, one of her key associates and two former presidential aides who allegedly helped Choi interfere with government decisions and amass an illicit fortune at the expense of businesses.

On Saturday, prosecutors summoned a senior executive of Samsung Electronics, South Korea's largest company, which is under suspicion of spending millions of dollars illicitly financing the equestrian training of Choi's daughter. They raided the company's headquarters in southern Seoul on Tuesday.

On Friday, prosecutors summoned the chairman of POSCO over allegations that Choi and her associates tried to forcibly take over the shares of an advertising company previously owned by the steelmaker.

Under South Korea's criminal litigation law, which requires suspects to be either indicted or released within 20 days of their arrest, prosecutors have until Nov. 20 to formally charge Choi.

The president's office was taking the protests seriously and listening to the public's concerns, a spokesman said. Top aides to the president held meetings Saturday to discuss how to respond to the rally and were expected to convene Sunday.

"As people are furious about scandal, we are carefully watching the situation and trying to figure out a way to deal with it," an unnamed presidential official told the Yonhap News Agency.

Information for this article was contributed by Anna Fifield and Yoonjung Seo of The Washington Post.</s>Seoul, South Korea (CNN) Massive protests roiled Seoul for the second consecutive weekend as hundreds of thousands of angry South Koreans took to the streets Saturday calling for President Park Geun-hye's resignation.

The march, which included families with young children, students -- some in school uniforms -- and union members, came as opposition to Park mounts following her unprecedented admission that she shared classified information with someone who lacked the necessary security clearance.

It was one of the biggest anti-government protests the country has seen in decades.

The President has already apologized twice , but that has done little to quell the rage of many South Koreans who say they feel betrayed. Indeed, some protesters are saying the marches won't stop until she resigns.

Chu Mia, a protester who was wearing devil's horns and holding a Korean sign saying Park should step down, said, "We don't want to call her ... President anymore. We want a real government."

"We didn't give this person the power," she said.

Media and opposition parties have accused Choi of using her relationship with Park to accumulate millions of dollars in donations to her foundations.

Prosecutors arrested Choi on charges of abuse of power and attempted fraud.

Two of Park's former aides have also been arrested, according to Yonhap News Agency.

A former presidential secretary, An Chong-bum, 57, was arrested on suspicion of abuse of authority and attempted coercion, the outlet reported.

The court issued a warrant to arrest Jeong Ho-seong, the former secretary for private presidential affairs, over allegations of handing over state documents to Choi.

Leaders at last weekend's protests gave speeches between musical performances.

"This sort of corruption happened during her father's time, but 40 years later, things like this are met with resistance from the public," one protester told CNN.

Another, holding a candle and with her child beside her, said: "I brought my child so that she could witness democracy in action and also to show her this dark time in our history."

Park is South Korea's first female President. She's also the daughter of Park Chung-hee, the country's President from 1961 to 1979, who was assassinated by his own intelligence chief. The late Park is hailed by some as the mastermind behind the country's current prosperity but criticized by others as a dictator who violated human rights and crushed dissent.

The scandal has led to not one by two public apologies by Park.

"All of this happening is my fault. It happened because of my neglect," she said in one televised address.

She addressed some of the rumors swirling around her, during this unusually tense period.

"There are even talks of me being immersed in a cult or resorting to shamanism in the Blue House (presidential palace). I would like to say that this is absolutely not true," she said.

Yet the classified information scandal, while rare and shocking in South Korea, isn't the only reason many are calling for her to step down.

Unions, in particular, have come out strongly against her.

As one of the protesters, high school student Chi Hee Jung, put it, "She says so many lies and she's a liar, but we didn't know that for a long time and now we have to speak loud."

She added, "She doesn't feel any guilt right now. That's why she's still the leader."

When asked if Park's apologies meant anything, she said, "It's a total lie."

Pledge to keep up protests

Protesters Saturday attempted to march to the presidential palace, known as the Blue House. It's less than a mile from the site of the protest, but roads were blocked by police buses and riot police.

Despite the serious nature of the calls for resignation, protesters seemed to be in good spirits. Many brought dogs, and there was live music, again, along with speeches. And they pledged to keep up the protests until they have answers -- and a resolution to the current political turmoil.</s>SEOUL — South Korean President Park Geun-hye faced mounting pressure to step down on Saturday as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators marched in the capital to protest allegations that she let a friend meddle in state affairs.

Saturday's rally in downtown Seoul was the largest so far in a crisis engulfing Park, 64, and organisers said some 850,000 people packed streets running through the city centre including a 12-lane thoroughfare. Police estimated the crowd at 260,000.

Students, families including young couples pushing strollers and protesters in wheelchairs were among the crowd during the peaceful march, which contrasted with the violence of some previous rallies dominated by militant unions and civic groups that clashed with police.

One man travelled seven hours from the southern town of Gimhae to join the rally demanding Park step down a year before her mandate is due to end.

"Park Geun-hye! Today! Step down! Immediately! Step down! Now!" protesters chanted a few hundred metres from the presidential Blue House.

"I'm here so that this country will be a better place for my daughters," said Park Min-hee, 34, a housewife who was at the rally with her two young daughters and her husband's parents. "Park Geun-hye did wrong. She must step down right now."

It was the third weekend protest rally since Park's first public apology on October 25 when she admitted she had sought the advice of her friend, Choi Soon-sil.

Park's acknowledgement only served to fuel public anger and suspicion over the secret confidant, who apparently held no official government position.

Another apology by Park and an offer to work with the parliamentary opposition to form a new Cabinet and relinquish some power also failed to quell the crisis, prompting opponents to say she did not grasp its severity.

Park has dismissed some of her most senior and closest advisers, and former aides have been arrested on charges of abuse of power. Choi, the friend who is believed to have been acquainted with the president since the 1970s, has been charged with abuse of power and fraud.

Members of main opposition parties joined Saturday's rally, suggesting there is growing support in parliament for action to remove her from power, although there was no formal move yet to launch impeachment proceedings.

No South Korean president has ever failed to finish their five-year term.

Park's approval rating has dropped to 5 per cent for a second week, according to a poll conducted by Gallup Korea and released on Friday, the lowest number for a South Korean president since such polling began under democratically elected leaders in 1988.

Gallup Korea, based in Seoul, is not affiliated with US-based Gallup, Inc., the American firm said.

Park is the daughter of Park Chung-hee who took power in a 1961 military coup and ruled until he was assassinated by his disgruntled spy chief in 1979, five years after his wife was shot dead in the head by a killer who meant to shoot him.</s>Tens, and possibly hundreds, of thousands of South Koreans were expected to rally in Seoul on Saturday demanding the ouster of President Park Geun-hye in what would be one of the biggest protests in the country since its democratization about 30 years ago.

Police anticipate about 170,000 people to turn out near City Hall and an old palace gate, while the protest organizers estimate as much as a million participants.

It will be the latest of a wave of massive rallies against Park, whose presidency has been shaken by suspicion that she let a shadowy longtime confidante to manipulate power from behind the scenes.

Park’s friend, Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a late cult leader who emerged as Park’s mentor in the 1970s, is also suspected of exploiting her presidential ties to bully companies into donating tens of millions of dollars to foundations she controlled.

Despite rising public anger, opposition parties have yet to seriously push for Park’s resignation or impeachment over fears of negatively impacting next year’s presidential race. However, they have threatened to campaign for resignation if she doesn’t distance herself from state affairs.

The protest on Saturday was expected to be the largest in the capital since June 10, 2008, when police said 80,000 people took part in a candlelight vigil denouncing the government’s decision to resume U.S. beef imports amid persisting mad cow fears. Organizers then estimated the crowd at 700,000.

In the summer of 1987, millions of South Koreans rallied in Seoul and other cities for weeks before the then-military government caved in to demands for free presidential elections.

In an attempt to stabilize the situation, Park on Tuesday said she would let the opposition-controlled parliament choose her prime minister. But opposition parties say her words are meaningless without specific promises about transferring much of her presidential powers to a new No. 2.

Prosecutors have arrested Choi, one of her key associates and two former presidential aides who allegedly helped Choi interfere with government decisions and amass an illicit fortune at the expense of businesses.

Prosecutors also on Friday summoned the chairman of steelmaker POSCO over allegations that Choi and her associates tried to forcibly take over the shares of an advertisement company previously owned by the steelmaker.On Tuesday, they raided the headquarters of smartphone giant Samsung Electronics, the country’s largest company, which is under suspicion of spending millions of dollars illicitly financing the equestrian training of Choi’s athlete daughter.

Under South Korea’s criminal litigation law, which requires suspects to be either indicted or released within 20 days of their arrest, prosecutors have until Nov. 20 to formally charge Choi.

There is also a possibility that prosecutors will eventually investigate Park, who in a televised apology last week said she would accept a direct investigation into her action. The president has immunity from prosecution except in cases of treason, under South Korean law, but she can be investigated.

Park has 15 months left in her term. If she steps down before the end of it, an election must be held within 60 days.
As many as 1,000,000 people march on the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, calling for the resignation of President Park Geun-hye amid an ongoing corruption scandal. It is the largest protest in South Korea since the protests against U.S. beef imports in 2008.