It wasn't clear what Park Geun-hye planned to say later on Tuesday. But a resignation would be a major surprise.
Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett, reporting from Seoul, said this would be Park's third speech on a scandal that has gripped the nation.
"She gave an apology on each of those occasions but it hasn't been enough so far to quell the calls for her to step down, the mounting street protests that we've seen over five weekends," Fawcett said.
"What we are hearing though from the president's office is that there won't be any mention, or at least this speech won't include the prospect of, her stepping down. So what she can say beyond that to try to quell some of these calls for her to go - well it's up to her."
So far, Park has rejected calls to resign and has dismissed prosecutors' claims that she colluded with a confidante who allegedly manipulated power from the shadows and extorted companies to amass an illicit fortune.
Her speech comes as opposition parties close in on an impeachment motion against her. They plan to put that motion up for vote on Friday. The country's two largest opposition parties were also planning on Tuesday to determine a special prosecutor to independently investigate the scandal.
Al Jazeera's Fawcett said that if Park did not step down public protests were likely to continue.
Source: Al Jazeera News and Agencies
29/11/16
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South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday said she was willing to step down before the end of her five-year single term, but let the fate of her presidency to parliament...
ReplyDelete"I will leave the issue of my departure, including the reduction of my term in office, to a decision by the National Assembly," Park said in a televised speech.
"Once lawmakers come up with measures to transfer power in a way that minimizes any power vacuum and chaos in governance, I will step down," she added.