S.Korean opposition parties urge President Park to step down

Three main opposition parties of South Korea on Wednesday urged embattled President Park Geun-hye to unconditionally and immediately step down, vowing to push Park's impeachment unwaveringly after Park made her third address to the nation.

Chiefs of the biggest opposition Minjoo Party, minor oppositions People's Party and the Justice Party held a trilateral meeting, agreeing that they will never negotiate the shortening of presidency, which requires the amendment of the constitution.

Their emergency meeting came a day after President Park addressed the nation for the third time since a scandal involving her and her decades-long friend, Choi Soon-sil, emerged last month.

Apologizing to the nation, Park said she had believed things would contribute to the public's interests, stressing that she had never pursued her personal gains "for a flash."

Prosecutors said Park had been complicit in forcing large business conglomerates to donate tens of thousands of U.S. dollars to two nonprofit foundations Choi actually controlled.

According to the prosecution office, Park pressured a conglomerate into giving business favors to a public relations agency owned by Choi, while conniving at the leakage of confidential presidential documents to her longtime confidante.

Park's speech came ahead of the expected parliamentary vote on her impeachment as early as this Friday or no later than next Friday.

The scandal-hit president threw the ball of decision on her fate in the parliamentary court, saying she would follow the parliamentary decision including the shortening of her presidency.

It was strongly criticized in the opposition bloc as the shortening of her five-year term indicates the revision of the constitution that would take at least one year or longer.

The first South Korean female leader's single presidency is scheduled to end in February 2018. While negotiations are going on between the rival political parties, Park can return to state affairs. Endit