Opposition seeks Park's impeachment

South Korea's main opposition party yesterday voted to seek the impeachment of President Park Geun-Hye after prosecutors named her a criminal suspect in a snowballing corruption case.

But it remains unclear exactly when Park's opponents will formally try to start the process, a difficult and lengthy one with no guarantee about the outcome.

Members of the Democratic Party voted unanimously in favour of seeking Park's impeachment and setting up a working group to review related legal issues, its spokesman Ki Dong-Min told reporters.

"We have decided to join efforts with civic groups, other opposition parties and even members of the ruling party who want Park to be impeached," Ki said.

He said the party would formally begin the process when it sees the "biggest possibility" of parliament approving such a move.

Two smaller opposition parties have already said they will seek to remove Park. Even some members of the president's ruling conservative party have come out in favour of impeachment.

But their commitment to the process is unclear for now, partly due to fear of a political backlash if the impeachment bid fails.

On Sunday Seoul prosecutors said Park had colluded with her long-time friend Choi Soon-Sil, who is accused of coercing local firms to donate more than $60 million and of meddling in state affairs.

That made Park the first South Korean president to become a criminal suspect while in office.

Choi and a former Park aide were formally indicted on charges of abuse of power and coercion, while another aide was charged with leaking confidential state documents.