Amid resignation calls in S. Korea, President Park now in PH for Apec

South Korean President Park Geun-hye has arrived in Manila Tuesday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Economic Leaders’ meeting which will start on Wednesday.

Park’s plane touched down at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 at 11:55 a.m on board South Korean presidential plane.

She was welcomed by Department of Interior and Local Government Sec. Mel Senen Sarmiento and Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul Hernandez.

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Park arrived in the country after attending the Group of 20 summit in Ankara, Turkey.

She is the first woman president of South Korea and is the daughter of former President Park Chung-hee.

She was also named one of the most powerful women in the world, ranking 11th in the list of Forbes Magazine’s “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.”

While Park is out of the country, tens of thousands of South Koreans took to the streets of Seoul last Saturday to demand Park’s resignation in what was seen as the largest anti-government protest that transpired in South Korea in recent history.

Protesters massed up last Saturday to raise anti-government grievances which include the issue of Park’s recent decision to approve a uniform, government-issued history textbook in schools. Critics claim that the said textbook will whitewash the legacy of Park’s father who ruled in a dictatorship from 1961 until his assassination in 1979. Park’s approval ratings dropped following her decision to issue the textbooks.

Protest organizers were quoted by the New York Times as saying that Saturday’s protest was attended by 130,000. Police pegged the number at 68,000. RAM

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