SAN DIEGO (AP) — All-Star shortstop Javier Báez could return to the Chicago Cubs if they reach the playoffs.

Báez saw a hand specialist in Chicago who confirmed the slugger has a hairline...</s>SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean President Park Geun-hye took sole blame Friday for a "heartbreaking" scandal that threatens her government and vowed she will accept a direct investigation into her actions amid rising suspicion that she allowed a mysterious confidante to manipulate power from the shadows.

In a high-stakes address to the nation, Park, her voice shaking, said the scandal is "all my fault and mistake." In an extraordinary moment, she also denied media speculation here that she had been controlled by a religious cult.

"I feel a huge responsibility (for the scandal) deep in my heart," Park said. "It is all my fault and mistake."

Her comments come at what may well prove to be the crucial moment of her presidency. As calls for her to resign or be directly investigated rise, Park is attempting to show the contrition and sense of responsibility that South Koreans demand while re-establishing her tarnished credibility. She is in the fourth year of a single five-year term and, even before this scandal, faced criticism over the government's response to a ferry sinking that killed more than 300 and a perceived aloof nature.

One national poll had her approval rating at 5 percent, the lowest for any modern South Korean leader.

"Anyone found by the current investigation to have done something wrong must be held responsible for what they have done, and I am also ready to face any responsibility," Park said. "If necessary, I'm determined to let prosecutors investigate me and accept an investigation by an independent counsel too."

Last week Park surprised many when she acknowledged that she had relied on Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a cult leader and Park mentor, for help editing presidential speeches and other undefined "public relations" issues.

Anger has exploded in the days since, with media reports claiming that the influence Choi had went much deeper. There are reports that Choi reviewed and made recommendations on government policy papers, helped choose presidential aides and even picked out Park's wardrobe.

Thousands have protested, Park has fired many of her senior aides and is replacing her prime minister.

Choi has been formally arrested, and opposition lawmakers have demanded that prosecutors also investigate Park. The president's nominee for prime minister, the country's No. 2 job, has suggested that Park can be directly investigated, despite her immunity from prosecution.

Choi, 60, was arrested Thursday as Seoul Central District Court accepted a prosecutors' request to issue a warrant citing alleged abuse of authority and fraud, according to court spokesman Shin Jae-hwan. Choi is being held in a detention center, Shin said.

In addition to the allegations Choi was a behind-the-scenes influence on Park, reports have alleged she pushed businesses to donate millions of dollars to two foundations that she controlled.

Choi is the first person formally arrested in connection with the scandal. On Wednesday night, prosecutors detained one of Park's former senior presidential secretaries after summoning him for alleged involvement in extracting $70 million in donations. Prosecutors have 48 hours to determine whether to request an arrest warrant for Ahn Jong-beom or release him.

Park has fired eight presidential secretaries and nominated three new top Cabinet officials including the prime minister in an effort to regain public confidence. Opposition parties have described Park's personnel reshuffles as a tactic to divert attention from the scandal.

Park may survive what has become the worse patch of an already rocky four years in office. But if her choice for prime minister is rejected and she is forced to name someone chosen by the opposition, it will hamstring her authority and may end her ability to govern.

On Thursday, Park's choice for prime minister, Kim Byong-joon, told a news conference that he thinks it's possible to have Park investigated, though he said the procedures and methods of any probe of the head of state must be carefully handled.</s>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — In an extraordinary display of abject apology during a moment of supreme crisis, South Korean President Park Geun-hye took sole blame Friday for a “heartbreaking” scandal amid rising suspicion that she allowed a mysterious confidante to manipulate power from the shadows.

Park also vowed to accept a direct investigation into her actions, but the opposition, sensing weakness, immediately said that if she doesn’t accept a prime minster chosen by the parliament and withdraw from dealing with domestic affairs, it will push for her ouster.

“I feel a huge responsibility (for the scandal) deep in my heart,” Park said, her voice shaking during the high-stakes televised address to the nation over a scandal that threatens her rule. “It is all my fault and mistake.”

Park’s comments were rife with astonishing moments, and included a frank assessment of her relationship with the woman at the heart of the scandal, Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a cult leader and a longtime friend of Park’s.

“I put too much faith in a personal relationship and didn’t look carefully at what was happening,” Park said. “Sad thoughts trouble my sleep at night. I realize that whatever I do, it will be difficult to mend the hearts of the people, and then I feel a sense of shame and ask myself, ‘Is this the reason I became president?'”

In another exceptional moment, Park denied media speculation that she had “fallen into worshipping cult religions or that shamanistic rituals were held at the presidential Blue House.”

Her comments come at what may well prove to be the crucial moment of her presidency. Park is attempting to show the contrition and sense of responsibility that South Koreans demand while re-establishing her tarnished credibility. She is in the fourth year of a single five-year term and faced criticism even before this scandal, particularly for the government’s response to a 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people.

One national poll had her approval rating at 5 percent, the lowest for any leader in South Korea’s 68-year history.

“Anyone found by the current investigation to have done something wrong must be held responsible for what they have done, and I am also ready to face any responsibility,” Park said. “If necessary, I’m determined to let prosecutors investigate me and accept an investigation by an independent counsel too.”

Last week Park surprised many when she acknowledged that she had relied on Choi for help editing presidential speeches and other undefined “public relations” issues.

Anger has exploded in the days since, with media reports claiming that the influence Choi had went much deeper. There are reports that Choi reviewed and made recommendations on government policy papers, helped choose presidential aides and even picked out Park’s wardrobe.

Thousands have protested. Park has fired many of her senior aides and is replacing her prime minister.

Choi has been formally arrested, and the president’s nominee for prime minister, the country’s No. 2 job, has suggested that Park can be directly investigated, despite her immunity from prosecution.

Park said she couldn’t talk about many specifics because of the investigation, but she was frank in her comments about her involvement with Choi, who has been the subject of widespread rage.

Choi was “a person who stood with me during the hardest moment in my life,” Park said in her speech, apparently referring to the assassinations of Park’s mother and later her father, the dictator Park Chung-hee. “It’s true that I lowered my guard and my sense of wariness” of Choi.

In addition to allegations that Choi influenced Park behind the scenes, reports allege Choi pushed businesses to donate millions of dollars to two foundations that she controlled.

Only Choi has been formally arrested in connection with the scandal, but On Wednesday night, prosecutors detained one of Park’s former senior presidential secretaries after summoning him for alleged involvement in extracting $70 million in donations. Prosecutors have 48 hours to determine whether to request an arrest warrant for Ahn Jong-beom or release him.

Park has fired eight presidential aides and nominated three new top Cabinet officials, including the prime minister, in an effort to regain public confidence. Opposition parties have described Park’s personnel reshuffles as a tactic to divert attention from the scandal.

Park may survive what has become the worst patch of an already rocky term. But if her choice for prime minister is rejected and she is forced to name someone chosen by the opposition, it will hamstring her authority and may end her ability to govern.

On Thursday, Park’s choice for prime minister, Kim Byong-joon, said at a news conference that he thinks it’s possible to have Park investigated, though he said the procedures and methods of any probe of the head of state must be carefully handled.

AP writer Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul contributed to this report.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>A tearful and apologetic South Korean President Park Geun-hye said on Friday her “heart was breaking” over a political scandal that has engulfed her administration, pledging to cooperate with prosecutors in their investigation.

Park has been rocked by an influence peddling scandal involving an old friend, sending her approval rating to just 5 percent, a 12 percentage point drop from last week and the lowest since such polling began in 1988, according to a Gallup poll released on Friday.

In a brief televised address to journalists, Park said that prosecutors should clarify what happened and that everyone involved should be held accountable, including herself, and take responsibility if found guilty.

“It is hard to forgive myself and sleep at night with feelings of sorrow,” Park, 64, said, her voice trembling.

A prosecution official declined to comment to Reuters when asked if Park would be subject to investigators’ questioning, which would be a first for a sitting South Korean president.

The leader of the main opposition party said Park’s apology was insincere.

“The president should remove her hands from state affairs,” Choo Mi-ae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said in a statement, stopping short of demanding Park’s resignation.

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

A group of civic organisations has planned a large street protest for Saturday evening demanding that Park step down.

A former Park aide, Jeong Ho-seong, was arrested late on Thursday on suspicion of leaking classified information, a prosecution official told Reuters, the second member of Park’s former inner circle of advisers to be arrested this week.

Prosecutors asked a court to grant an arrest warrant for another former adviser, An Chong-bum, on suspicion of abuse of power and attempted extortion, a prosecutor said, declining to elaborate. An has been under emergency detention since Wednesday.

Park’s long-time friend, Choi Soon-sil, 60, is alleged to have used her closeness to the president to meddle in state affairs, and her lawyer has said he expects prosecutors to look into whether she inappropriately received classified documents and benefited unlawfully from two non-profit organisations.

“It is very miserable and regrettable that a particular individual is said to have taken profits and committed several unlawful acts, while we are working on a job in hopes of helping the national economy and people’s lives,” Park said, referring to Choi.

Park closed her remarks with a bow and walked towards a row of journalists and repeated her apology. She did not take questions.

“I think she’ll manage to regain a bit of sympathy from the people who used to like her, but the speech itself was not enough to fix the crisis at hand,” said Kim Man-heum, head of the Korea Academy of Politics and Leadership, a research organisation.

Park acknowledged carelessness in her ties with Choi, who Park has said helped her through difficult times.

“It is true that I lowered the wall of caution myself because she stood by me in the most difficult period in my life,” Park said.

“I’ve already cut all the connections in my heart but from now on will completely break my private connections.”

Their friendship dates to an era when Park served as acting first lady after her mother was killed by an assassin’s bullet intended for her father, then-president Park Chung-hee. Five years later, in 1979, Park’s father was murdered by his disgruntled spy chief.

Choi, who has been in custody since Monday, told South Korea’s Segye Ilbo newspaper last week that she received drafts of Park’s speeches after Park’s election victory but denied she had access to other official material, influenced state affairs or benefited financially.

Choi’s late father, Choi Tae-min, headed a now-defunct religious sect and was also close to Park during and after her father’s presidency.

A 2007 U.S. diplomatic cable described the senior Choi as the “Korean Rasputin”, an allusion to a close adviser to the last tsar of Russia and the perceived influence over Park Geun-hye.

Choi Soon-sil has been portrayed in Korean media as having inherited her father’s influence over Park, while local media have also characterised Choi Tae-min’s religious group as a cult and alleged that Park held a shamanistic ritual at the presidential compound.

“There is even talk that I fell into a cult or I held a shamanistic ritual at the Blue House,” she said. “I am saying clearly: none of this is true.”</s>Park has been rocked by an influence peddling scandal involving an old friend, sending her approval rating to an all-time low of just 5 percent, a 12 percentage point drop from last week, the lowest since such polling began in 1988, according to a Gallup poll released on Friday.

In a brief televised address to journalists, Park said that prosecutors should clarify what happened and that everyone involved should be held accountable, including herself, and take responsibility if found guilty.

"It is hard to forgive myself and sleep at night with feelings of sorrow," Park, 64, said, her voice trembling.

A prosecution official declined to comment to Reuters when asked if Park would be subject to investigators' questioning, which would be a first for a sitting South Korean president.

The leader of the main opposition party said Park's apology was insincere.

"The president should remove her hands from state affairs," Choo Mi-ae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said in a statement, stopping short of demanding Park's resignation.

Park has faced growing calls from the public and political opponents to step down. No South Korean president has ever failed to finish their five-year term.

A former Park aide, Jeong Ho-seong, was arrested late on Thursday on suspicion of leaking classified information, a prosecution official told Reuters, the second member of Park's former inner circle of advisers to be arrested this week.

Park's long-time friend, Choi Soon-sil, 60, is alleged to have used her closeness to the president to meddle in state affairs, and her lawyer has said he expects prosecutors to look into whether she inappropriately received classified documents and benefited unlawfully from two non-profit organizations.

"It is very miserable and regrettable that a particular individual is said to have taken profits and committed several unlawful acts, while we are working on a job in hopes of helping the national economy and people's lives," Park said, referring to Choi.

Park closed her remarks with a bow and walked towards a row of journalists and repeated her apology. She did not take questions.

"I think she'll manage to regain a bit of sympathy from the people who used to like her, but the speech itself was not enough to fix the crisis at hand," said Kim Man-heum, head of the Korea Academy of Politics and Leadership, a research organization.

Choi, who has been in custody since Monday, told South Korea's Segye Ilbo newspaper last week that she received drafts of Park's speeches after Park's election victory but denied she had access to other official material, influenced state affairs or benefited financially.

Choi's late father, Choi Tae-min, headed a now-defunct religious sect and was close to Park during and after the presidency of her father, Park Chung-hee, who was assassinated in 1979.

A 2007 U.S. diplomatic cable described the senior Choi as the "Korean Rasputin", an allusion to a close adviser to the last tsar of Russia and the perceived influence over Park Geun-hye.

Choi Soon-sil has been portrayed in Korean media as having inherited her father's influence over Park, while local media have also characterized Choi Tae-min's religious group as a cult and alleged that Park held a shamanistic ritual at the presidential compound.

"There is even talk that I fell into a cult or I held a shamanistic ritual at the Blue House," she said. "I am saying clearly: none of this is true."</s>Park has been rocked by an influence peddling scandal involving an old friend, sending her approval rating to an all-time low of just 5 percent, a 12 percentage point drop from last week, according to a Gallup poll released on Friday.

In a brief televised address to journalists, Park said that prosecutors should clarify what happened and that everyone involved should be held accountable, including herself, and take responsibility if found guilty.

"It is hard to forgive myself and sleep at night with feelings of sorrow," Park, 64, said, her voice trembling.

A prosecution official declined to comment to Reuters when asked if Park would be subject to investigators' questioning, which would be a first for a sitting South Korean president.

Park's old friend, Choi Soon-sil, 60, is alleged to have used her closeness to the president to meddle in state affairs, and her lawyer has said he expects prosecutors to look into whether she inappropriately received classified documents and benefited unlawfully from two non-profit organizations.

"It is very miserable and regrettable that a particular individual is said to have taken profits and committed several unlawful acts, while we are working on a job in hopes of helping the national economy and people's lives," Park said, referring to Choi.

Park, who has faced growing calls from the public and political opponents to step down, closed her remarks with a bow and walked towards a row of journalists and repeated her apology. She did not take questions.

A former Park aide was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of abuse of power, according to prosecutors, and a second former aide was arrested late on Thursday on suspicion of leaking classified information, a prosecution official told Reuters.

Choi, 60, who has been in custody since Monday, told South Korea's Segye Ilbo newspaper last week that she received drafts of Park's speeches after Park's election victory but denied she had access to other official material, influenced state affairs or benefited financially.

Choi's late father, Choi Tae-min, headed a now-defunct religious sect and was close to Park during and after the presidency of her father, Park Chung-hee, who was assassinated in 1979.

A 2007 U.S. diplomatic cable described the senior Choi as the "Korean Rasputin", an allusion to his perceived influence over Park Geun-hye.

Choi Soon-sil has been portrayed in Korean media as having inherited her father's influence over Park, while South Korean media have characterized Choi Tae-min's religious group as a cult and alleged that Park held a shamanistic ritual at the presidential compound.

"There is even talk that I fell into a cult or I held a shamanistic ritual at the Blue House," she said. "I am saying clearly: none of this is true."</s>South Korean prosecutors have arrested a former aide of President Park Geun-hye considered a central figure to an influence-peddling scandal, Yonhap News Agency said on Friday.

Jeong Ho-seong was arrested on Thursday night suspected of leaking confidential documents to Choi Soon-sil, a long-time friend of Park at the center of the scandal.

South Korean prosecutors did not immediately comment on the report.</s>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — In an extraordinary display of abject apology during a moment of supreme crisis, South Korean President Park Geun-hye took sole blame Friday for a “heartbreaking” scandal amid rising suspicion that she allowed a mysterious confidante to manipulate power from the shadows.

Park also vowed to accept a direct investigation into her actions, but the opposition, sensing weakness, immediately threatened to push for her ouster if she doesn’t distance herself from domestic affairs and accept a prime minster chosen by the Parliament.

“I feel a huge responsibility (for the scandal) deep in my heart,” Park said, her voice shaking during the high-stakes televised address to the nation. “It is all my fault and mistake.”

Park’s comments were rife with astonishing moments, and included a frank assessment of her relationship with the woman at the heart of the scandal, Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a cult leader and a longtime friend of Park’s.

“I put too much faith in a personal relationship and didn’t look carefully at what was happening,” Park said. “Sad thoughts trouble my sleep at night. I realize that whatever I do, it will be difficult to mend the hearts of the people, and then I feel a sense of shame and ask myself, ‘Is this the reason I became president?'”

In another exceptional moment, Park denied media speculation that she had “fallen into worshipping cult religions or that shamanistic rituals were held at the presidential Blue House.”

Her comments come at what may well prove to be the crucial moment of her presidency. Park is attempting to show the contrition and sense of responsibility that South Koreans demand while also trying to re-establish her tarnished credibility. She is in the fourth year of a single five-year term and faced criticism even before this scandal, particularly for the government’s response to a 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people.

One national poll released earlier Friday had her approval rating at 5 percent, the lowest for any president in South Korea since the country achieved a democracy in the late 1980s following decades-long dictatorships.

“Anyone found by the current investigation to have done something wrong must be held responsible for what they have done, and I am also ready to face any responsibility,” Park said. “If necessary, I’m determined to let prosecutors investigate me and accept an investigation by an independent counsel too.”

Last week Park surprised many when she acknowledged that she had relied on Choi for help editing presidential speeches and other undefined “public relations” issues.

Anger has exploded in the days since, with media reports claiming that the influence Choi had went much deeper. There are reports that Choi reviewed and made recommendations on government policy papers and pushed businesses to donate millions of dollars to two foundations that she controlled. Other reports speculate Choi also helped choose presidential aides and even picked out Park’s wardrobe.

Thousands have protested. Park has fired eight presidential secretaries and nominated three new Cabinet members, including the prime minister, in an effort to regain public confidence. Opposition parties have described Park’s personnel reshuffles as a diversionary tactic.

Soon after Park’s speech, the main opposition Democratic Party said her apology lacks sincerity and issued a set of demands that it says Park must immediately accept if she doesn’t want see rallies calling for the end of her government. The demands include Park withdrawing her prime minister nomination which the opposition says is “unilateral”; nominating a new person recommended by the National Assembly for the country’s No.2 job; and accepting separate investigations by lawmakers and an independent counsel.

“The president now comes right into a dead end,” party chief Choo Mi-ae told a televised conference. Park “must comply with what the people want.”

Park may survive what has become the worst patch of an already rocky term. But if she is forced to name a prime minister chosen by the opposition, it will hamstring her authority and may end her ability to govern.

Only Choi has been formally arrested in connection with the scandal. Prosecutors on Friday requested an arrest warrant for ex-Park aide, Ahn Jong-beom, for his alleged involvement in extracting $70 million in donations. On Wednesday night, prosecutors detained another ex-presidential aide, Jeong Ho-seong, for allegedly leaking confidential documents to Choi, and are reviewing whether to seek an arrest warrant for him, too.

Park said she couldn’t talk about many specifics because of the investigation, but she was frank in her comments about Choi, who has been the subject of widespread rage.

Choi was “a person who stood with me during the hardest moment in my life,” Park said in her speech, apparently referring to the assassinations of Park’s mother and later her father, the dictator Park Chung-hee. “It’s true that I lowered my guard and my sense of wariness” of Choi.

AP writer Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul contributed to this report.</s>SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — South Korea's president bowed as she arrived at the podium and shook as she spoke. For nine minutes, she apologized, she expressed remorse and she reached out for sympathy. In the face of nearly universal outrage among South Koreans, Park Geun-hye accepted full responsibility for an increasingly bizarre political scandal that threatens her presidency.

She avoided the more damning allegations that her longtime confidante had influence beyond speeches and personal and perhaps had interfered with important government decisions on policy and personnel. But Park's apology Friday had a number of astonishing moments:

— "I am sorry to have caused huge disappointment to the government officials and many people in the field who worked with me with devotion, and also the businesspeople who offered help based on good faith. The work was pushed to help the national economy and the lives of people, but (I feel) miserable and terrible that specific individuals used it for personal profit and committed unlawful acts during the process."

The arrest of her friend Choi Soon-sil and the detention of a former presidential senior secretary involve allegations they pressured South Korean companies into making large donations to two foundations and that Choi misused some of the funds.

— "Anyone found by the current investigation to have done something wrong must be held responsible for what they have done, and I am also ready to face any responsibility."

Park in this speech said for the first time she would accept a direct investigation into her actions. The president has immunity from prosecution except in cases of treason, under South Korean law, but she can be investigated. Prosecutors also have detained two former aides and have received files from the presidential Blue House in their widening investigation.

— "She was a person who stood with me during the hardest moment in my life, so it's true that I lowered by guard and my sense of wariness. I put too much faith in a personal relationship and didn't look carefully at what was happening, and failed to be strict with the people around me."

Her friendship with Choi was born out of family tragedy. Park's mother was assassinated in 1974 by someone trying to kill her father, dictator Park Chung-hee. Choi's father, a shadowy religious figure named Choi Tae-min, emerged around the same time as Park's mentor. Her father was assassinated five years later.

— "Sad thoughts trouble my sleep at night. I realize that whatever I do, it will be difficult to mend the hearts of the people, and then I feel a sense of shame and ask myself, 'Is this the reason I became president?'"

The bluntly personal comment is a contrast to Park's perception as aloof or unemotional earlier in her presidency. Online commenters compared her remark to the lyrics of the Radiohead song "Creep."</s>With her public support numbers in free-fall, South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Friday offered yet another apology for the political crisis engulfing her administration, adding that she would accept an investigation of her role in an alleged influence-peddling scandal “if necessary.”

“Anyone found by the current investigation to have done something wrong must be held responsible for what they have done, and I am also ready to face any responsibility,” Park was quoted as saying during a nationally televised news conference.

“If necessary, I’m determined to let prosecutors investigate me and accept an investigation by an independent counsel, too,” she said.

Park’s longtime friend, Choi Soon-sil, 60, is alleged to have used her closeness to the president to meddle in state affairs, and her lawyer has said he expects prosecutors to look into whether she inappropriately received classified documents and benefited unlawfully from two nonprofit organizations.

The scandal has sent Park’s approval rating tumbling to an all-time low of 5 percent, a Gallup poll released Friday showed. The figure was the lowest since such tracking began in 1988.

While past presidents have been involved in scandals, no South Korean leader has ever been investigated while in office. But, as the country’s sitting leader, Park has immunity, per the South Korean Constitution, which says that the president “shall not be charged with a criminal offense during his tenure of office except for insurrection or treason.”

Nevertheless, any probe of Park will likely stoke further uncertainty that could adversely affect Seoul’s ties with its neighbors, experts say.

“There is surely some uneasy observation from Tokyo on the current situation in South Korea,” said J. Berkshire Miller, a Tokyo-based international affairs fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations.

“While the Park government has not exactly been warm to Japan since taking office, there has been a recent detente, due to both the political agreement of the ‘comfort women’ (issue) in late 2015 and the sustained provocations from Pyongyang over the past year.”

Miller said that a trilateral summit slated for next month in Tokyo that also includes China was a good chance for the Japan and South Korea to further improve ties. Tokyo, however, is reportedly concerned that the crisis could delay or nix the summit, which was held last year for the first time since 2012.

Additionally, Miller said, there are concerns that Park’s re-engagement on a long-stalled deal that would allow Tokyo and Seoul to directly exchange intelligence on North Korea could lag amid the political uncertainty.

“The North will surely try and leverage this situation but may look to avoid immediate provocations — such as an imminent missile or nuclear test — in order to avoid giving Park an escape hatch to distract sentiment,” Miller said.

The news conference came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a military unit trained to wipe out those who hold important posts in South Korea’s presidential office, government and military, Pyongyang’s state media said Friday.

Park has faced growing calls from the public and her political opponents to resign, but no South Korean president has ever failed to finish their single, five-year term.

“This crisis could well end up in resignation which would be a somewhat more dignified end rather than an impeachment process,” said Miller.

Opposition lawmakers and presidential contenders have already stepped up their campaigns for Park to resign.

“The overwhelming sentiment of the public is for the president to step down,” former Minjoo Party leader Moon Jae-in was quoted as saying Wednesday by local media. “I am very aware of this sentiment and I support it.”

Moon has been among the front-runners to succeed Park, but has consistently trailed U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in polls. Ban is widely expected to run for president with the backing of Park’s ruling Saenuri Party once his U.N. term expires at the year-end.

But Bong Young-shik, with the Yonsei University Institute for North Korean Studies, said the political turmoil is unlikely to aid Moon’s candidacy.

“He has been virtually invisible, not demonstrating strong leadership to mobilize the public and the opposition parties or proposing emergency plans that are an acceptable bipartisan road map to lead the country out of the crisis,” Bong said.

Miller concurred, saying that Moon will face strong headwinds, regardless of whether Park stays or goes.

“Moon Jae-in will try and capitalize but will have to be careful not to run a smear campaign, which won’t endear him to the Korean people and would further hurt his chances against a candidate as strong as Ban Kin-moon,” he said.
The President of South Korea Park Geun-hye accepts full blame for the scandal over the influence of religious figure Choi Soon-sil in Park's administration and vows to accept the results of an independent investigation into her actions.