Park Geun-hye accused of ‘illegal occupation’ of S. Korean presidential residence

Since she was dismissed on Friday by the unanimous verdict of the country’s constitutional court over a vast corruption scandal, Park has remained silent. (Photo: Jan Knüsel/ Flickr)

MOSCOW–The leader of South Korea’s opposition Labor Party, Lee Gap-yong, has accused ousted President Park Geun-hye of illegally occupying the presidential residence and filed a petition to have her removed by the police.

Since she was dismissed on Friday by the unanimous verdict of the country’s constitutional court over a vast corruption scandal, Park has remained silent. She has also remained in the home that is, technically, only for active rulers.

The historic ruling immediately stripped her of all powers and privileges, except for her security. Park is eligible to be granted security accorded to a former president for five years, and facilities needed for the service are to be installed in and around her house.

The former president is obliged to move out of the Blue House (Cheong Wa Dae), where she has been secluded for more than 90 days, since the National Assembly voted for her impeachment in October.

Park’s aide told Yonhap news agency that she will leave Cheong Wa Dae and move to her private two-story house in prosperous Samseong-dong in southern Seoul in a couple of days. Park’s private home has been left vacant since her inauguration in February 2013 and needs repairs and cleaning to accommodate her and her security detail.

“The president was apparently stunned at the ruling,” the aide was quoted as saying. “She wants to keep to herself for a while.”

Unmoved, Lee has filed a petition with the Jongno Police Station urging to immediately remove Park from the residence by force.

“She is no longer the President and she is obliged to leave Cheong Wa Dae,” he said.

“Cheong Wa Dae is an extremely confidential facility that can only be open to authorized personnel. With Park, that is no longer the case.”

While some 50,000 Koreans took to the streets on Saturday to celebrate the impeachment, thousands of Park supporters rallied near City Hall demanding to review the decision. Three people have already died in clashes with riot police since her impeachment.

On social networks, Korean citizens are comparing Park’s behavior with that of the country’s ninth president, Roh Moo-hyun.

Roh committed suicide on May 23, 2009, by jumping from a mountain cliff behind his home. He was being investigated for corruption. In his suicide note, he apologized to the nation, saying “there are too many people suffering because of me.”