South Korean President Park Geun Hye, who has seen her approval ratings plunge to a record low of 4 per cent in the wake of a widening influence peddling scandal, apologised for a third time yesterday in a brief televised speech.

While she said sorry for not keeping her ties with a long-time confidante under control, she did not give in to mounting calls for her to resign immediately.

Yesterday, she said only that she was willing to step down early according to the timetable set out by Parliament. Critics say the latest move by Ms Park, whose five-year term ends in February 2018, is aimed at staving off impeachment.

SEE TOP OF THE NEWS