Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and People’s Party founder Ahn Cheol-soo on Wednesday officially called on President Park Geun-hye to resign in an angry response to her Cabinet reshuffle proposal.

“I am outraged. President Park Geun-hye shows no remorse after putting the country in a mess like this,” the mayor told an emergency press conference held an hour after the reshuffle was announced.

“Her unilateral appointment of new Cabinet members is an act of belittling the people,” the mayor said, calling for the conservative president to resign immediately.

President Park is facing accusations that she let her civilian friend Choi Soon-sil meddle in state affairs. She chose Kim Byong-joon, a former policymaker for the liberal administration of President Roh Moo-hyun, as the new prime minister.

The embattled president apparently did not have any prior consultations with any political party -- not even her own Saenuri Party. Political groups have been discussing how to form a neutral Cabinet.

“The president, without even making a sincere apology (for the Choi scandal), unilaterally named a new prime minister on her own. This is an insult to all the people who have been calling for truth and justice,” Rep. Ahn said.

Calls for President Park to be ousted have been growing among civic groups, political minorities and the public since the scandal erupted last week. 

So far, mainstream political parties, including the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, have tried to distance themselves from extreme voices. The Justice Party, a far-left minority with six lawmakers, demands the president leave her office.

Mayor Park also vowed to join social movements to bring down the president, saying he will support all kinds of peaceful demonstrations that take place in Seoul.

Ahn said he will devote his everything to upholding justice in this country, hinting at an all-out war against the scandal-ridden president.

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)