The twelfth round of all-people candlelight rally

The twelfth round of all-people candlelight rally

The 12th all-people action was reportedly staged across south Korea in the teeth of bitter cold with more than 150 000 people attending on January 14, under the sponsorship of the people's emergency action for the resignation of the Park Geun-hye regime.

Prior to the candlelight action, there were a funeral ceremony of a Buddhist, who burned himself in demand of resignation of Park and justice and died after taken to a hospital and a memorial service of martyr Park Chong-churl who was killed by the brutal torture of the security authorities, 30 years ago.

Speakers said that the Buddhist, who set himself ablaze to death, protested against the authorities for the sake of a righteous and peaceful society.

Though he was raised to the skies, his soul strongly demands the resignation of Park, they stated.

The speakers, at the prior meeting after the end of the funeral ceremony and memorial service, said they were thunderstruck by “Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil scandal” and they took to the plaza in the cold day for they are indignant with the Park group’s abuse of power.

Saying that among the criminals of abuse of power, there are Park and Choi but also business tycoons, they demanded arrest and punishment of the chief criminals and accomplices.

A candlelight rally took place at Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul with more than 130 000 persons in attendance.

They said that the people’s participation in the candlelit rally in the teeth of biting cold is an evidence of victory of candlelight holders.

Holding that Park’s written refutation in relation to her whereabouts for seven hours when ferry Sewol sunk presented to the “Constitutional Court” is untrue, they added that the people’s question to Park is not what she was doing for seven hours but why she did not take a salvage step.

They engraved “No THAAD” with laser beam on the wall of building of US embassy in Seoul, while chanting slogans “Criminals to prison” and “Constitutional Court should impeach Park”.

After the rally, they staged a demonstration.

14 700 riot policemen of 184 companies were committed to quell the candlelight rally. The furious protesters marched towards the Blue House, the official residence of the prime minister and offices of business tycoons, shouting slogans in demand of retirement of the chief criminals and accomplices that involved in the hideous scandal.

After the march, they assembled in the Gwanghwamun Plaza to hold another rally.

Similar actions were held in Busan and other parts of south Korea.