[Courtesy of Seo's Facebook]
A 64-year-old monk has been pronounced dead two days after he set himself on fire in his self-immolation protest against President Park Geun-hye during a weekend candle-lit rally demanding her resignation.
The monk surnamed Seo used inflammable liquid to burn himself on Saturday night when hundreds of thousands of citizens gathered for a street rally in central Seoul. He was pronounced dead at 7:40 pm (1040 GMT) Monday at Seoul National University Hospital.
Seo sustained serious burns all over his body after he apparently tried to commit suicide. He had left what was seen as a suicide note calling for Park's resignation and arrest.
He had received a suspended jail sentence for trying to throw a firebomb at a foreign ministry building a year ago in protest at a 2015 deal between Seoul and Tokyo to resolve the emotional issue of "comfort women" sexually enslaved by Japan's imperial army during World War II.
Japan expressed an apology for wartime atrocities and agreed to donate one billion yen ($9.97 million) to a foundation dedicated to supporting the victims of sexual slavery. However, opposition parties and civic groups in Seoul contend the 2015 accord should be renegotiated.
Park, who took office in early 2013 as South Korea's first female president, was impeached by parliament on December 9 at the height of anti-government protests that have seen millions of citizens taking to the streets in an unprecedented demonstration of people power.
She was suspended for her role in a corruption scandal involving her crony, Choi Soon-sil, but refused to step down by herself. Choi has been arrested for meddling in state affairs and siphoning off money from two public foundations created with cash donations from dozens of conglomerates.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
