Park takes rally 'seriously'

President Park Geun-hye is well aware of the severity of the Saturday's massive candlelit rally and is considering all measures to normalize state affairs, the presidential office said Sunday.

Presidential chief of staff Han Kwang-ok and other senior presidential secretaries discussed, Sunday, ways to cope with the unprecedented rally, which organizers say was participated in by more than 1 million people demanding that Park resign, The Korea Times said. 

"We take the public anger expressed in the rally very seriously, a presidential spokesman said after the talks.

"We are gathering ideas to come up with correct measures to resolve the current political chaos."

He said Park observed the rally from her official residence in Cheong Wa Dae, adding that: "President Park is at pains over how to fulfill her duty as president and normalize state affairs."

Analysts said Cheong Wa Dae was falling short of placating the public.

They said Park must step down or declare that she will give up much of her power as quickly as possible to minimize confusion at home and abroad.

With the prosecution's inquiry into Park's involvement in a corruption scandal appearing imminent, she is expected to issue another public statement this week ― this time possibly including how to normalize state affairs.

Her previous two apologies over the scandal failed to calm public anger with fresh allegations surrounding her and her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil surfacing almost every day.

Source: MENA