SEOUL, South Korea -- Hundreds of thousands of people flooded Seoul's streets Saturday demanding the resignation of President Park Geun-hye amid a political scandal.

Police said about 260,000 people turned out for the latest rally against Park, whose presidency has been shaken by suspicion that she let a shadowy longtime confidante manipulate power from behind the scenes. Protest organizers estimated the crowd at 1 million.

Waving banners and signs, a sea of demonstrators jammed streets stretching about half a mile from City Hall to a large square in front of an old palace gate for several hours, roaring and applauding to speeches calling for Park's ouster.

Protesters also marched on a road in front of the palace gate and near the Blue House, the mountainside presidential office and residence, carrying candles, blowing horns and banging drums, while shouting "Park Geun-hye, resign!"

Bae Dong-san, a 45-year-old man, said Park's government has "worsened the living conditions of workers, completely messed up state governance and monopolized state affairs with her secret inner circle."

"It feels much better to shout together with many other people," he said.

Despite rising public anger, opposition parties have yet to seriously push for Park's resignation or impeachment over fears of triggering a backlash from conservative voters and negatively impacting next year's presidential election. However, they have threatened to campaign for Park's resignation if she doesn't distance herself from state affairs.

The protest Saturday was the largest in the capital since June 10, 2008, when police said 80,000 people took part in a candlelight vigil denouncing the government's decision to resume U.S. beef imports amid mad cow fears. Organizers estimated that crowd at 700,000. In the summer of 1987, millions rallied in Seoul and other cities for weeks before the then-military government caved in to demands for free presidential elections.

Train and express bus tickets to Seoul were difficult to get from some areas Friday evening and Saturday morning, with the protest reportedly drawing tens of thousands of people from other cities.

"I have never been interested in politics and I don't even have a TV at home ... but unbelievable things have been happening, and I came out today because I didn't want to feel defeated as a South Korean citizen," said Cho Jong-gyu, who took a five-hour bus ride from the small southern island of Geoje to participate in the rally, where he quietly held a cardboard sign calling for Park to resign.

Lee Ryeo-hwa, a Seoul resident who took her three children to the rally, the youngest of them hanging on her front in a baby carrier, said Park had to go because she "created this mess with her undemocratic leadership style and refusal to communicate."

"People said it was a bad idea to bring my kids here, but I want them to remember today ... and learn that democracies are built on participation," Lee said.

In addition to allegedly manipulating power, the president's confidante, Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a late cult leader who emerged as Park's mentor in the 1970s, is also suspected of exploiting her presidential ties to bully companies into donating tens of millions of dollars to foundations she controlled.

In an attempt to stabilize the situation, Park said Tuesday that she would let the opposition-controlled parliament choose her prime minister. But opposition parties say her words are meaningless without specific promises about transferring much of her presidential powers to a new No. 2.

Moon Jae-in, a lawmaker from the main opposition Minjoo Party who lost to Park in the 2012 presidential election, has even demanded that Park surrender her authority to command South Korea's military.

The opposition is also demanding a separate investigation into the scandal by a special prosecutor.

Prosecutors have arrested Choi, one of her key associates and two former presidential aides who allegedly helped Choi interfere with government decisions and amass an illicit fortune at the expense of businesses.

On Saturday, prosecutors summoned a senior executive of Samsung Electronics, South Korea's largest company, which is under suspicion of spending millions of dollars illicitly financing the equestrian training of Choi's daughter. They raided the company's headquarters in southern Seoul on Tuesday.

On Friday, prosecutors summoned the chairman of POSCO over allegations that Choi and her associates tried to forcibly take over the shares of an advertising company previously owned by the steelmaker.

Under South Korea's criminal litigation law, which requires suspects to be either indicted or released within 20 days of their arrest, prosecutors have until Nov. 20 to formally charge Choi.

The president's office was taking the protests seriously and listening to the public's concerns, a spokesman said. Top aides to the president held meetings Saturday to discuss how to respond to the rally and were expected to convene Sunday.

"As people are furious about scandal, we are carefully watching the situation and trying to figure out a way to deal with it," an unnamed presidential official told the Yonhap News Agency.

Information for this article was contributed by Anna Fifield and Yoonjung Seo of The Washington Post. </s> This is probably the highest number of protestors ever demanding a leader to step down, in recent memory. An estimated 1.5 million hit the streets in the capital of South Korea to demand the resignation of the US puppet President Park Geun-hye.

Park has been embroiled in an influence peddling scandal akin to that of the Clinton Foundation’s false philanthropy, when her friend Choi gained privileged access to Park’s administration in favor of at least two contributors to the latter’s foundation.

The only difference is that the South Koreans are quick to respond en masse.

Choi is linked to those who are moving towards the installation of THAAD missile system, which of course include the warmongers in the US State Department and war marketers of the military industrial complex.

Corporatist Bloomberg is calling those million demonstrators as mere “agitators”…

About 260,000 people turned up for the mass rally on Saturday, police said, making it one of the biggest demonstrations in South Korea’s history. The organizers asserted that as many as 1.5 million took part in Seoul and another 400,000 elsewhere in the country. The city square echoed the sound of “step down, arrest her” as the protesters, at one point, put out the candles they were carrying only to light it up again en masse.

“She promised a better life and now I know she meant it for herself,” said Seo Sung-kyung, a 42-year-old restaurant worker, as she walked with fellow agitators. “We’ve been fooled by her. We will not make the same mistake again.”

As shown above, Bloomberg showcases the 260,000 people, but the images of the massive demonstrations wouldn’t lie, of course.

Over 1mn march in Seoul to demand President Park’s resignation

About 1.3 million protesters have gathered in Seoul to demand the resignation of scandal-plagued South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

The protest’s organizers have said they expect that number to grow to 1.5 million before the end of the night, and that a further 500,000 are gathering at various protests around the country, Reuters reports.

The huge demonstrations, which began five weeks ago, are the largest in South Korea since the pro-democracy protests in the 1980s.

Park is embroiled in a corruption scandal involving her long-time confidante Choi Soon-sil, who has been indicted on bribery charges.

Prosecutors wish to speak to the president over allegations that she colluded with Choi to offer favors to businesses that contributed money to two foundations controlled by Choi.

The president has apologized twice on national television, but has so far resisted calls to resign. “It is hard to forgive myself and sleep at night with feelings of sorrow,” Park said of the scandal.

The leader of the main opposition party described the apology as insincere.

Opposition parties are attempting to put forward a parliamentary motion to impeach Park over the alleged collusion. The motion looks set to go to a vote in early December.

As of 8pm Saturday, The Korean Times reported 1.3 million attended the largest protest in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, where activists and musicians entertained the enormous crowd.

Police said around 1,500 civic groups were involved in organizing the massive rally and that, although all previous protests have passed peacefully, 25,000 officers were required to police the event.

Earlier on Saturday, protesters marched within 200 meters of the presidential palace where Park resides, holding banners calling for her to step down.

Park was elected in 2012, and her five-year term ends in February 2018. Her father Park Chung-hee ruled South Korea from 1961, when he seized power in a military coup, until he was assassinated in 1979. He reportedly remains popular with many older Koreans, as he was in power during a period of rapid economic growth.

The current president’s approval rating, however, has fallen to as low as four percent recently – a record low for South Korea’s elected presidents.

There’s no doubt that the departure of Park will contribute to world peace, as the THAAD installation won’t be pursued anymore as the same people demanding Park’s resignation expressed strong indignation to.

On August 15 in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, 908 people sat in rows of chairs and waited for their heads to be shaved as an act of protest against the U.S.-South Korean decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in their hometown. Even Confucian scholars, who regard all parts of the human body as a gift from one’s parents and their hair as precious as their lives, sat stoically, willing to join the symbolic act against the deployment of the controversial weapons system. As the ceremony began and clumps of hair fell to the ground, onlookers gasped and even dabbed tears from their cheeks.

But the moment of anguish was brief. As soon as the ceremony concluded, everyone quietly tied their headbands behinds their heads and shouted “No THAAD!” as they headed to a demonstration.

Although some small sectors of our society would like to claim credit for the spread of unrests around the globe, demanding real changes about the structures and personalities in their governments, we continue to attribute this Great Awakening to the internet infrastructure.

Without the World Wide Web, each revolutionary would be left to his own accord and not enjoy the moral support of the rest of the world.

There are only a few who can do that, and most of them were already dead.

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We can all help the revolution by avoiding all Khazarian pharmaceutical drugs, defeat any viral attack and scaremongering, like the Zika virus, easily by knowing how to build our own comprehensive antiviral system. Find more about how we can kill three birds with one stone, right here. </s> South Korean President Park Geun-hye is facing increasing pressure to resign as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators join nationwide protests over corruption claims.

In what is believed to be one of the largest demonstrations so far over the allegations engulfing Ms Park, organisers said 1.3 million protesters filled the streets in the capital of Seoul on Saturday evening, with 1.5 million estimated to join by the end of the night.

Some 500,000 people are expected to turn out in other regions. Police put the number of participants in Seoul at 260,000.

The demonstrations mark the fifth straight weekend of protests in the country and are among the largest seen in South Korea since the pro-democracy protests of the 1980s.

Farmers, university students and Buddhist monks were among the demonstrators, who beat drums and chanted "Park get out now", as they marched towards the Presidential Blue House, which had been cordoned over by 24,000 police.

The president is bracing for an impeachment push by opposition parties and some members of her own Saenuri Party amid allegations she let her long-time confidante Choi Soon-Sil, who has been arrested for fraud and abuse of power, influence government affairs and amass an illicit fortune despite holding no official position - a scandal critics say undermines the country's democracy.

Sixty-year-old Ms Choi allegedly used her relationship with Ms Park to drive donations from conglomerates, including SK, Lotte and Samsung, to non-profit foundations, which she set up and used for personal gain.

Ms Park has issued two public apologies over the scandal, which have only served to fuel public anger and suspicion, but has resisted repeated calls to resign.

She has promised to submit herself to an expanding probe by prosecutors as well as a separate investigation by an independent special prosecutor to be appointed by parliament.

The headquarters of SK, Lotte and Samsung were raided by state prosecutors this week along with the offices of the finance ministry and state pension fund.

At the rally in Seoul, protesters wearing raincoats and armed with umbrellas against the cold, wet weather, waved placards and lit candles as night descended.

Buddhist monks wearing grey robes recited a sutra while other protestors imitated Ms Park, Ms Choi and Samsung scion Lee Jae-Yong being led into prison.

"I don't think Park would step down voluntarily, but we need to raise our voice as much as possible to encourage parliament to push through with its move to impeach her," Lee Sung-Cheol a 23-year-old student told AFP.

"I came here because I wanted to show my children that people are the owner of this country, not the power holders," Shim Ku-Il, a 47-year-old company employee said.

Kwak Bo-youn, 45, said: "I was watching the news and thought this cannot go on - people really want her to step down but she hasn't. This is the second time for me to the protests, but the first time for my husband and kids".

Ms Park's approval ratings have plummeted since the allegations emerged. After hovering at just five per cent for three consecutive weeks her approval rating dipped one percentage point on Friday.

According to a poll by Gallup Korea, her disapproval rating has risen three percentage points to 93 per cent. Her lowest approval rating is among young people, with 99 per cent of 19 to 29 year-olds disapproving of the president.

A parliamentary vote to impeach Ms Park, whose five year term ends in February 2018, could take place as early as next week as an increasing number of ruling party politicians back the opposition-led campaign to remove her from office.

If parliament passes the impeachment motion, Ms Park would be suspended from official duties and replaced by the prime minister. The Constitutional Court would need to approve the impeachment. </s> Hundreds of thousands took to the the streets of Seoul on Saturday in the latest and largest protest against South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

Park come under fire for allowing her close confidante to have too much influence over her government policies for personal gains.

According to organizers, 850,000 people joined the candlelight rally at Gwanghwamun and a public square near Seoul City Hall, with the number expected to reach up to one million.

Police said they counted 220,000 people, surpassing the figure they expected by at least 50,000. About 25,000 officers were deployed to maintain order during the rally.

The event sets a new turnout record for a protest in Seoul, according to Yonhap news agency. The previous was set in June 2008, when an estimated 80,000 people were reported by the police to have attended a demonstration against the government’s decision to resume beef import from the US. At the time, organizers put the number at 700,000.

Later, the protesters marched to within a few blocks of the presidential Blue House compound. The move was previously banned for security reasons, but a local court gave the organizers the green light earlier on Saturday.

The march was marred by minor clashes with the police, after which at least seven people were taken to the hospital, according to Yonhap.

The Saturday rally was organized by three opposition parties, as well as hundreds of left-leaning civic groups, which joined forces to oppose President Park, who stands accused of cronyism and abuse of power. She allegedly allowed her close personal friend, Choi Soon-sil, to take advantage of their friendship and influence government decisions for personal gains.

Park has publicly apologized several times and fired key officials entangled in the scandal, but apparently failed to calm public outrage. Her approval rating remains at a record-low five percent, according to the latest Gallop poll, as calls for her to step down grow louder.

“If President Park continues to ignore the people’s demands and orders, the Democratic Party will stage a full-blown campaign for the ousting of the [Park] administration,” Choo Mi-ae, the party leader, said during the rally.

The party said it intends to push for a parliamentary probe into the alleged abuses starting next week.

The Park administration held a series of emergency meetings amid the scandal to discuss their reaction to the mass protests.

“As people are furious about [the] scandal, we are carefully watching the situation and trying to figure out a way to deal with it,” a presidential official told the news agency, declining to be named.

If Park caves in to the opposition, she will become the first South Korean president to not finish the five-year term.

Choi has been Park’s friend since the 1970s and, according to some commenters, has served as a surrogate sister for Park, who is estranged from her siblings. She was charged with abuse of power and fraud. </s> Around 1.3 million protesters have gathered in Seoul demanding the resignation of the South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

Organizers say they expect that number to grow to 1.5 million before the end of the night despite cold weather and snow and that a further 500,000 are gathering at various protests around the country.

The huge demonstrations, which began five weeks ago, are the largest in South Korea since the pro-democracy protests in the 1980s.

Park is embroiled in a corruption scandal involving her long-time confidante Choi Soon-sil, who has been indicted on bribery charges.

Prosecutors wish to speak to the president over allegations that she colluded with Choi to offer favors to businesses that contributed money to two foundations controlled by Choi.

The president has apologized twice on national television, but has so far resisted calls to resign. “It is hard to forgive myself and sleep at night with feelings of sorrow,” Park said of the scandal.

The leader of the main opposition party described the apology as insincere.

Opposition parties are attempting to put forward a parliamentary motion to impeach Park over the alleged collusion. The motion looks set to go to a vote in early December.

As of 8pm Saturday, The Korean Times reported 1.3 million attended the largest protest in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, where activists and musicians entertained the enormous crowd.

Police said around 1,500 civic groups were involved in organizing the massive rally and that, although all previous protests have passed peacefully, 25,000 officers were required to police the event.

Earlier on Saturday, protesters marched within 200 meters of the presidential palace where Park resides, holding banners calling for her to step down.

Park was elected in 2012, and her five-year term ends in February 2018. Her father Park Chung-hee ruled South Korea from 1961, when he seized power in a military coup, until he was assassinated in 1979. He reportedly remains popular with many older Koreans, as he was in power during a period of rapid economic growth.

The current president’s approval rating, however, has fallen to as low as four percent recently – a record low for South Korea’s elected presidents. </s> Activists from the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections occupy the street in front of the Petronas Twin Towers during a rally in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, Nov. 19. Tens of thousands of Malaysians wearing yellow T-shirts and blowing horns defiantly held a major rally in the capital Saturday to demand the resignation of embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Protesters hold up candles during a rally calling for South Korean President Park Geun-hye to step down in Seoul on Saturday. For the fourth straight Saturday, masses of South Koreans filled major avenues in downtown Seoul demanding an end to the presidency of Park, who prosecutors plan to question soon over an explosive political scandal. The signs read "Park Geun-hye, Step Down." </s> SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Tens of thousands of South Koreans are expected to march in Seoul to demand President Park Geun-hye’s resignation on Saturday, a day after she took blame for a “heartbreaking” scandal and rising suspicion that she allowed a mysterious confidante to manipulate power from the shadows.

Police expect around 40,000 people in what could be the largest anti-government rally in nearly a year while organizers say as many as 100,000 will turn out.

Dozens of police buses were parked in streets around City Hall and also a square in front of an old palace gate, which the police plan to close off to prevent protesters from marching toward the Blue House, the presidential office and residence.

Smaller protests have taken place daily in past weeks amid growing calls for Park to step down, although opposition parties have yet to make a serious push for her resignation or impeachment for fears of negatively impacting next year’s presidential elections.

In Friday’s televised apology, Park vowed to accept a direct investigation into her actions, but the opposition, sensing weakness, immediately threatened to push for her ouster if she doesn’t distance herself from domestic affairs and focus on diplomacy, and accept a prime minster chosen by the parliament.

“I feel a huge responsibility (for the scandal) deep in my heart,” Park said, her voice shaking. “It is all my fault and mistake.”

Park’s comments were rife with astonishing moments, and included a frank assessment of her relationship with the woman at the heart of the scandal, Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a late cult leader and a longtime friend of Park’s.

“I put too much faith in a personal relationship and didn’t look carefully at what was happening,” Park said. “Sad thoughts trouble my sleep at night. I realize that whatever I do, it will be difficult to mend the hearts of the people, and then I feel a sense of shame and ask myself, ‘Is this the reason I became president?'”

In another exceptional moment, Park denied media speculation that she had “fallen into worshipping cult religions or that shamanistic rituals were held at the presidential Blue House.”

Her comments come at what may well prove to be the crucial moment of her presidency. Park is attempting to show the contrition and sense of responsibility that South Koreans demand while also trying to re-establish her tarnished credibility. She is in the fourth year of a single five-year term and faced criticism even before this scandal, particularly for the government’s response to a 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people.

One national poll released earlier Friday had her approval rating at 5 percent, the lowest for any president in South Korea since the country achieved a democracy in the late 1980s following decadeslong dictatorships.

“Anyone found by the current investigation to have done something wrong must be held responsible for what they have done, and I am also ready to face any responsibility,” Park said. “If necessary, I’m determined to let prosecutors investigate me and accept an investigation by an independent counsel too.”

Last week Park surprised many when she acknowledged that she had relied on Choi for help editing presidential speeches and other undefined “public relations” issues.

Anger has exploded in the days since, with media reports claiming that the influence Choi went much deeper. There are reports that Choi reviewed and made recommendations on government policy papers and pushed businesses to donate millions of dollars to two foundations that she controlled. Other reports speculate Choi also helped choose presidential aides and even picked out Park’s wardrobe.

Park has fired eight presidential secretaries and nominated three new Cabinet members, including the prime minister, but opposition parties described Park’s personnel reshuffles as a diversionary tactic.

Soon after Park’s speech, the main opposition Democratic Party said her apology lacks sincerity and issued a set of demands that it says Park must immediately accept if she doesn’t want see rallies calling for the end of her government. The demands include Park withdrawing her prime minister nomination in favor of a new person recommended by the National Assembly for the country’s No. 2 job; and accepting separate investigations by lawmakers and an independent counsel.

“The president now comes right into a dead end,” party chief Choo Mi-ae said. Park “must comply with what the people want.”

Park may survive what has become the worst patch of an already rocky term. But if she is forced to name a prime minister chosen by the opposition, it will hamstring her authority and may end her ability to govern.

Only Choi has been formally arrested in connection with the scandal. Prosecutors on Friday requested an arrest warrant for ex-Park aide, Ahn Jong-beom, for his alleged involvement in extracting $70 million in donations. On Wednesday night, prosecutors detained another ex-presidential aide, Jeong Ho-seong, for allegedly leaking confidential documents to Choi, and are reviewing whether to seek an arrest warrant for him, too.

Park said she couldn’t talk about many specifics because of the investigation, but she was frank in her comments about Choi, who has been the subject of widespread rage.

Choi was “a person who stood with me during the hardest moment in my life,” Park said in her speech, apparently referring to the assassinations of Park’s mother and later her father, the dictator Park Chung-hee. “It’s true that I lowered my guard and my sense of wariness” of Choi. </s> SEOUL, South Korea | Tens of thousands of South Koreans poured into the streets of downtown Seoul on Saturday, using words including “treason” and “criminal” to demand that President Park Geun-hye step down amid an explosive political scandal.

The protest, the largest anti-government demonstration in the capital in nearly a year, came a day after Park apologized on live television amid rising suspicion that she allowed a mysterious confidante to manipulate power from the shadows.

Holding banners, candles and colorful signs that read “Park Geun-hye out” and “Treason by a secret government,” a sea of demonstrators filled a large square in front of an old palace gate and the nearby streets, singing and thunderously applauding speeches calling for the ouster of the increasingly unpopular president.

South Korean high school students stage a rally calling for South Korean President Park Geun-hye to step down in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. Tens of thousands of South Koreans are expected to march in Seoul to demand President Park Geun-hye's resignation on Saturday, a day after she took blame for a "heartbreaking" scandal and rising suspicion that she allowed a mysterious confidante to manipulate power from the shadows. The letters read "Park Geun-hye should step down." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) South Korean high school students hold up their cards during a rally calling for South Korean President Park Geun-hye to step down in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. Tens of thousands of South Koreans are expected to march in Seoul to demand President Park Geun-hye's resignation on Saturday, a day after she took blame for a "heartbreaking" scandal and rising suspicion that she allowed a mysterious confidante to manipulate power from the shadows. The signs read "Park Geun-hye should step down." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) A South Korean protester holds a flag during a rally calling for South Korean President Park Geun-hye to step down in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. Tens of thousands of South Koreans are expected to march in Seoul to demand Park's resignation on Saturday, a day after she took blame for a "heartbreaking" scandal and rising suspicion that she allowed a mysterious confidante to manipulate power from the shadows. The signs read "Park Geun-hye should step down." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) South Korean high school students march toward the presidential house after a rally calling for South Korean President Park Geun-hye to step down in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. Tens of thousands of South Koreans are expected to march in Seoul to demand Park's resignation on Saturday, a day after she took blame for a "heartbreaking" scandal and rising suspicion that she allowed a mysterious confidante to manipulate power from the shadows. The signs read "Park Geun-hye should step down." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) South Korean protesters stage a rally calling for South Korean President Park Geun-hye to step down in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. Tens of thousands of South Koreans are expected to march in Seoul to demand Park's resignation on Saturday, a day after she took blame for a "heartbreaking" scandal and rising suspicion that she allowed a mysterious confidante to manipulate power from the shadows. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) South Korean protesters stage a rally calling for South Korean President Park Geun-hye to step down in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. Tens of thousands of South Koreans poured into the streets of downtown Seoul on Saturday, using words including "treason" and "criminal" to demand that President Park Geun-hye step down amid an explosive political scandal. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) South Korean protesters shout slogans during a rally calling for South Korean President Park Geun-hye to step down in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. Tens of thousands of South Koreans poured into the streets of downtown Seoul on Saturday, using words including "treason" and "criminal" to demand that Park step down amid an explosive political scandal. The signs read "Park Geun-hye should step down." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) South Korean protesters shout slogans as they march after a rally calling for South Korean President Park Geun-hye to step down in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. Tens of thousands of South Koreans poured into the streets of downtown Seoul on Saturday, using words including "treason" and "criminal" to demand that Park step down amid an explosive political scandal. The signs read "Park Geun-hye should step down." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

They then shifted into a slow march in streets around City Hall, shouting “Arrest Park Geun-hye,” ”Step down, criminal” and “We can’t take this any longer,” before moving back to the square and cheering on more speeches that continued into the night.

“Park should squarely face the prosecution’s investigation and step down herself. If she doesn’t, politicians should move to impeach her,” said Kim Seo-yeon, one of the many college students who participated in the protest.

“She absolutely lost all authority as president over the past few weeks,” he said.

Earlier in the week, prosecutors arrested Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a late cult leader and a longtime friend of Park, and detained two former presidential aides over allegations that they pressured businesses into giving $70 million to two foundations Choi controlled.

There are also allegations that Choi, despite having no government job, regularly received classified information and meddled in various state affairs, including the appointment of ministers and policy decisions.

“I came out today because this is not the country I want to pass on to my children,” said another demonstrator, Choi Kyung-ha, a mother of three. “My kids have asked me who Choi Soon-sil was and whether she’s the real president, and I couldn’t provide an answer.”

Choi Tae-poong, a 57-year-old retiree, said he came out to protest because he thought the situation had reached a point where “no more patience is allowed.”

“I cannot bear this anymore,” he said.

Police estimated the crowd at 45,000, although protest organizers said about 200,000 people turned out.

Police used dozens of buses and trucks to create tight perimeters in streets around the square in front of the palace gate to close off paths to the presidential office and residence. Thousands of officers dressed in fluorescent yellow jackets and full riot gear stood in front of and between the vehicles as they closely monitored the protesters.

Smaller protests have taken place in the past few weeks in Seoul and other cities amid growing calls for Park to step down. While several politicians have individually called for Park’s ouster, opposition parties have yet to attempt a serious push for her resignation or impeachment in fear of negatively impacting next year’s presidential election.

“How many more astonishing things must happen before this country changes for the better?” said Park Won-soon, the opposition mayor of Seoul and a potential presidential candidate, vowing to push for the president’s resignation.

President Park has tried to stabilize the situation by firing eight aides and nominating three new top Cabinet officials, including the prime minister, but opposition parties have described her personnel reshuffles as a diversionary tactic.

One national poll released Friday had Park’s approval rating at 5 percent, the lowest for any president in South Korea since the country achieved democracy in the late 1980s following decades of military dictatorship.

In Friday’s televised apology, Park commented on the corruption allegations surrounding Choi and her former aides and vowed to accept a direct investigation into her actions, but avoided the more damning allegation that Choi perhaps had interfered with important government decisions on policy and personnel.

Opposition parties, sensing weakness, immediately threatened to push for her ouster if she doesn’t distance herself from domestic affairs and transfer the duties to a prime minister chosen by parliament. The parties have also called for a separate investigation into the scandal led by a special prosecutor.

Park has 15 months left in her term. If she resigns before the end of it, South Korean laws require the country to hold an election to pick a new president within 60 days. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Park Geun-hye says she is "heartbroken" over the scandal

Hundreds of thousands of protesters have gathered in the South Korean capital, Seoul, to demand the resignation of President Park Geun-hye.

Large numbers of police officers are being deployed to prevent demonstrators reaching the presidential palace.

Ms Park is accused of allowing her friend, Choi Soon-sil, to access government documents without clearance.

The president, whose approval ratings have plummeted over the scandal, has said she is "heartbroken".

Organisers said one million had turned out to protest on Saturday, while police put the number at 260,000.

Image copyright Reuters

It is the latest in a series of mass rallies against her over the issue.

A friendship too far in Seoul?

Ms Choi is accused of trying to extort huge sums of money from South Korean companies and is under arrest on charges of fraud and abuse of power.

She was detained last week on suspicion of using her friendship with Ms Park to solicit business donations for a non-profit fund she controlled.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Ms Park has admitted letting Ms Choi help her with speeches, without security clearance

'Inescapable noise' - BBC's Stephen Evans in Seoul

The protesters are more raucous than they were last week - still peaceful but there's more chanting than there was then.

The focus of the protest is President Park Geun-hye, whose presidential compound (known as the Blue House because of its blue roof) is a short distance from the march and the main stage of the rally. If she is at home there, the noise will be inescapable.

Between 20,000 and 30,000 officers are on stand-by around the perimeter of the Blue House. Many are in riot gear. Huge barricades have been erected, with water cannon in position.

At the moment, President Park does not face any criminal charges, but people close to her are being investigated for corruption. Her close friend of 40 years' standing has been charged with setting up two foundations and soliciting millions of dollars from big companies, including Samsung, on the strength of her closeness to the president.

Perhaps worrying for President Park is the fact that two officials from her office are also being investigated. She remains untouched but with the investigators circling. So are the crowds.

Ms Park has apologised following the revelations, saying she "put too much faith in a personal relationship and didn't look carefully at what was happening".

"Sad thoughts trouble my sleep at night. I realise that whatever I do, it will be difficult to mend the hearts of the people, and then I feel a sense of shame.'"

She said anyone found to have done wrong would be punished, and that she was prepared to be investigated by prosecutors.

Prosecutors have also said they are expanding their official investigation.
As many as 1,000,000 people march on the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, calling for the resignation of President Park Geun-hye amid an ongoing corruption scandal. It is the largest protest in South Korea since the protests against U.S. beef imports in 2008.