Supporters of South Korean President Park Geun-hye attend at a rally opposing her impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016. South Korea's opposition-controlled parliament last week voted to impeach Park over an explosive corruption scandal that saw millions protest over consecutive weekends. The banners read: "Nullity, Impeachment."
The historically large weekend protests over an explosive corruption scandal pushed South Korea's opposition-controlled parliament to vote this month to impeach Park.
The impeachment suspended Park's powers until the Constitutional Court decides whether she should permanently step down or be reinstated.
While polls measure Park's popularity in the low single digits, her impeachment has become a rallying point for her conservative supporters, who turned out in the thousands on Saturday Dec 17,2016
They waved the country's white national flag and shouted for Park's "illegal" impeachment to be "nullified," and the "rotten" parliament to be dissolved.
The tension was tangible as anti-Park protesters, whose numbers were much bigger, gathered on a boulevard across the street from where Park's supporters were rallying.
Despite thick lines of police officers separating them, there was some yelling and shoving between the two groups, with one Park supporter hitting an anti-Park protester with the pole of her flag. There were no immediate reports of serious violence or injuries.
Huge throngs of anti-Park protesters later walked toward the presidential offices and residence, known as the Blue House, carrying candles and signs and demanding that Park immediately quit.
Other groups marched toward the office of Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who assumed the role as government caretaker after Park was impeached on Dec. 9, and toward the Constitutional Court.
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