SEOUL, South Korea — President Park Geun-hye offered Tuesday to resign but put the onus on the parliament to decide how in a surprise announcement amid growing calls for her to step down or face impeachment over an influence-peddling and corruption scandal. “If the ruling and opposition parties discuss and come up with a plan to reduce the confusion in state affairs and ensure a safe transfer of governments, I will resign from the presidential position under that schedule and by processes stated in law.”

Opposition parties had been closing in on an impeachment motion against Park, and even her allies in the conservative ruling party have called for her to “honorably” step down rather than face impeachment. At the heart of the scandal is Choi Soon-sil, Park’s longtime friend and the daughter of a late cult leader who allegedly meddled in state affairs and pressured companies to donate millions of dollars to foundations controlled by her at the request of Park.
Park Geun-hye says she is willing to resign and offers to begin the process of removing herself from power.