South Korea’s President Park makes rare public appearance amid scandal

South Korea’s president has visited a rural market in her first public appearance out among her citizens since a huge political scandal exploded in October.

South Korea’s president has visited a rural market in her first public appearance out among her citizens since a huge political scandal exploded in October.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye, center, is escorted by Seomun Market Merchant Association President Kim Yong-oh, second left, during her visit to the Seomun Market which was burned by a recent fire in Daegu. (AP Photo)

Park Geun-hye’s visit to the market in the southeastern city of Daeju on Thursday comes as her opponents are squabbling over whether and when to impeach her after she made a conditional resignation offer this week.

The visits was also made just before police detained a man suspected of setting fire to the birthplace of Park’s late dictator father in the nearby city of Gumi.

Park Geun-hye’s office says she visited the market to review a recent fire, which destroyed hundreds of shops there.

Daegu is Park’s political home turf where she was elected as a national lawmaker four times before becoming president in 2013.