A group of 5,000 South Koreans on Tuesday filed a suit demanding President Park Geun-hye compensate them for the mental suffering she caused over the ongoing influence-peddling scandal.

The plaintiffs together filed the suit with the Seoul Central District Court, seeking 500,000 won ($427) each in compensation.

Attorney Kwak Sang-eon, who represents the plaintiffs, said the president should be held legally responsible for "committing criminal activities using the status of the president." 

Kwak, son-in-law of late former President Roh Moo-hyun, has been recruiting the plaintiffs since late last month. More than 10,000 have expressed their willingness to join so far and part of them filed the first round of the suit Tuesday, he said.

An opposition-led impeachment vote against Park is slated for Friday. If the motion is approved by at least 200 lawmakers in the 300-seat National Assembly, the Constitutional Court will review the case and make a final decision.

According to a survey conducted by the Institute for Social Development and Policy Research under Seoul National University, 62.4 percent of respondents said Park should immediately step down.

The poll was conducted over the past weekend on 1,000 people aged 15 to 69 from the capital region and six other major cities in the country.  (Yonhap)