Park Geun-hye

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Park Geun-hye
박근혜
朴槿惠
Leader of the Grand National Party
In office
23 March 2004 – 10 July 2006
Preceded by Choi Byeong-ryeol
Succeeded by Gang Jae-seop
First Lady of South Korea
Acting
In office
16 August 1974 – 26 October 1979
President Park Chung-hee
Preceded by Yuk Young-soo
Succeeded by Hong Gi
Member of the National Assembly
for Dalseong
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 April 1998
Preceded by Kim Suk-won
Personal details
Born 2 February 1952 (1952-02-02) (age 60)
Samdeok-dong, South Korea
Political party Grand National Party
Alma mater Sogang University
Website Official website
Cyworld
Twitter
Park Geun-hye
Hangul 박근혜
Hanja 朴槿惠
Revised Romanization Bak Geunhye
McCune–Reischauer Pak Kŭnhye
Dharma name
Hangul 선덕화
Hanja 善德華
Revised Romanization Seondeokhwa
McCune–Reischauer Sŏndŏkhwa
This is a Korean name; the family name is Park.

Park Geun-hye (Korean: 박근혜) is a South Korean politician. She is a member of the Korean National Assembly and was the head of the conservative Grand National Party. She is now in her fourth parliamentary term, having first been elected in 1998. Her father was Park Chung-hee, president of South Korea from 1963 to 1979. She is considered the favorite to be elected to be the next president of South Korea, with a 40% of approval rating in 2009[1] and currently as the most influential politician in Korea.[2]

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life and education

Born in Samdeok-dong of Jung-gu, Daegu, as the first child of Park Chung Hee and Yuk Young-soo. Park now resides in Gumi City near Daegu. She has two siblings; her younger brother Park Ji-man, who has been indicted several times for illegal drug uses and the current CEO of EG corporation in South Korea. The other is her younger sister Park Seo-yeong, who is the current executive director of Yookyoung foundation.

She graduated from Seoul's Seongsim High School in 1970, going on to receive a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Sogang University in 1974. Park was the chairwoman of the board of Yeungnam University from 1982 to 1991. She received honorary doctoral degrees from Chinese Culture University in Taiwan in 1987, Pukyong National University and KAIST in 2008, and Sogang University in 2010.

[edit] As First Lady (President's first daughter)

Park lost her mother to Mun Segwang (문세광), a Korean Japanese assassin, a member of General Association of Korean Residents in Japan under the command of North Korean government in the National Theater of Korea, Seoul on August 15, 1974. [3] Since then, she was regarded as first lady until 1979 when her father was also assassinated by his own intelligence chief. During this time, pro-democracy activists who were political opponents of her father continued to be subject to arbitrary detention and torture, and human rights were considered subordinate to economic development.[4] Park Geun-hye has expressed regret at the treatment of pro-democracy activists during this period.[5] Her religious affiliation is currently unknown.[6]

[edit] As Korean assemblywoman

Park was elected an assemblywoman as a Grand National Party (GNP) candidate in Dalsung, Daegu in 1998 by-election, and elected three more times in the same electoral district between 1998 and 2008, being the incumbent assemblyperson.

[edit] As GNP chairperson

Park helped her party in 2006 to make significant gains in local governments and actually obtain a majority. During the campaign on May 20, 2006, a 50-year old man slashed Park's face with a small knife, causing a 10-centimeter wound on her face, requiring 60 stitches and hours of surgery.[7]

Park has faced much scrutiny over an educational foundation, formerly known as Buil (after the stock it controls in the newspaper Busan Ilbo), which her father and later she headed. Its original owners claim in court they were forced to turn it over to her father.

On February 12, 2007, Park made a much-publicized visit to Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her visit culminated in an address to a packed audience at the Kennedy School of Government, where she said she wanted to "save" Korea and advocated a stronger relationship between the Republic of Korea and the US.[8]

[edit] Queen of Elections

Park has been regarded as the most influential politician in South Korea since the three Kims (Kim Young Sam, Kim Dae Jung, Kim Jong Pil). She is also often called "the queen of elections" since she has led the Grand National Party into victory in the 2006 local election as well as all by-elections during her chairwoman's years.

A famous anecdote happened in 2006 when Park was hospitalized after an assassination attempt during local election campaigns. The first word that she said to her secretary after her recovery from her wound was "How is Daejon?" After this, the candidate from the Grand National Party won the election for the mayor of city of Daejon despite trailing by more than 20% point in opinion polls up to the point.

[edit] 2008 Presidential bid

Park hoped to emulate her father's success by becoming the nominee for the Grand National Party. She eventually lost to Lee Myung-bak by a narrow margin. Lee had a commanding lead at the beginning of the primary season, but Park was able to narrow the gap through allegations of Lee's corruption. Park won the 'party member's bid', but she lost the 'national bid' which covers more percentage in the total presidential bid.

[edit] Pro-Park politicians

After the 2007 presidential election, President Lee Myung-bak formed the government mostly with his surrounding people. Park's supporters argued that this was a kind of 'political reprisal', and that they should secede the Grand National Party. Eventually, they formed parties named Pro-Park Alliance (친박연대; Chinbak Yeondae) and Solidarity for Pro-Park Independents (친박 무소속 연대; Chinbak Musosok Yeondae). Park herself did not join them, but indirectly supported them by announcing "I hope these people to come back alive". After the mass secession, the rebels announced that they will be remerged into GNP after the general election; GNP prohibited that rejoining.

In the following 2008 general election, the rebels won 26 seats: 14 in Park's Party and 12 Independents. It means their pivotal role for GNP's narrow majority. Park continually claimed that GNP should allow the return of her supporters. Currently most of them came back to GNP, resulting in approximately 50-60 assembly people who supports Park out of 171 in GNP as of 2011.

[edit] As Potential 2012 Presidential Candidate

Park has been the top candidate for 2012 presidential election in every national-level polls in South Korea between 2008 when Lee Myung Bak administration began and September 2011, with an approval rating of about 25%-45%, more than twice that of the second candidate. Park's approval rating was highest when 18th National Assembly election showed her strong influence and and lowest in early 2010 as a result of her political stance against Lee administration in Sejong City issue. [9]

In September 2011, Ahn Cheol-Soo (안철수), a former venture IT businessman and the Dean of Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, emerged as a strong independent candidate for presidency. In national-level presidential polls in September 2011, Ahn and Park Geun Hye closely compete for the front-runner, with Park losing the top seat in some polls, first time since 2008, which are mostly not clearly performed on established methods. [10]

[edit] Criticism

Park had been often criticized for being the "daughter of a dictator" mainly by Korean left-wing politicians [11] [12] and for not actively supporting the Lee administration by supporters of Lee Myung-Bak. One of degrading nicknames for her is "Notebook Princess" (수첩공주; 手帖公主), as she grew up as a privileged child in the royal family and has been very taciturn, only speaking publicly from prepared manuscripts sometimes.

[edit] Electoral History

[edit] National Assembly races (1998 to present)

[edit] 2000

16th National Assembly of the Republic of Korea elections, 2000[13]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Grand National Park Geun-hye 37,805 61.4%
Democratic Eum Sam-tak 23,744 37.8%
Totals 62,738 100.0%
Grand National hold

[edit] 2004

17th National Assembly of the Republic of Korea elections, 2004[14]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Grand National Park Geun-hye 45,298 70.0%
Uri Yoon Yong-hui 15,014 22.9%
Democratic Labor Heo Kyoung Do 4,367 6.6%
Totals 65,633 100.0%
Grand National hold

[edit] 2008

18th National Assembly of the Republic of Korea elections, 2008[15]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Grand National Park Geun-hye 50,149 88.57%
Democratic Labor Noh Yoon-jo 5,080 8.97%
PUFP Lim Jung-heon 1,386 2.44%
Totals 57,416 100.0%
Grand National hold

[edit] Writings

  • 평범한 가정에 태어났더라면 by Park Geun-hye (November 1993) ISBN 200-1-04-400020-7
  • 내 마음의 여정 by Park Geun-hye (Hansol Media, May 1995) ISBN 8-985-65650-3
  • 고난을 벗삼아 진실을 등대삼아 (Befriending Adversities, Truth as Guiding Light) by Park Geun-hye (Busanilbo, October 1998) ISBN 8-987-23624-2
  • 결국 한 줌 결국 한 점 (In the End Only a Fistful, One Speck) by Park Geun-hye (Busanilbo, October 1998) ISBN 8-987-23625-0
  • 나의 어머니 육영수 (My Mother, Yuk Young Su) by Park Geun-hye (January 2001) ISBN 8-985-54154-4
  • 절망은 나를 단련시키고 희망은 나를 움직인다 by Park Geun-hye (WisdomHouse, July 2007) ISBN 8-960-86033-6

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ [1] 2009 survey by Realmeter
  2. ^ [2] 2009 survey by Herald Business
  3. ^ [3] Doosan Encyclopedia
  4. ^ C.I. Eugene Kim, 'Emergency, Development, and Human Rights: South Korea,' Asian Survey 18/4 (April 1978): 363-378.
  5. ^ See 'Park Calls 1961 Coup 'Revolution' to Save I was saddened to hear of the attempt on Pak Kun Hae's life recently, I knew her as a student at Songsim when she was 14 and a very bright student. She was very shy and very serious about her studies. I found her to be kind to other students, to have a wonderful laugh and to be respected by her peers as both a good student and someone who was above reproach. She later converted to Catholicism as a teen. I once met her mom and dad. Her mother was a beautiful woman and very kind. I do not know about politics, but I do know character and integrity when I see it and Kun Hae had great character and courage at an early age. To loose both her parents so tragically, and yet to rise above the saddness and still want to particiapate in her countries government speaks of great courage and a desire to serve. Others may see it differently, but this is the person I knew as her teacher and tutor back in the 60's and have watched over the years grow up to become such a fine woman. Nation', KBS News, July 19, 2007 available at http://english.kbs.co.kr/news/newsview_sub.php?menu=2&key=2007071917 (accessed 14 August 2007). On a visit to South Korea in 1979, President Carter proposed to discuss the issue of human rights with Park Geun-hye. See 'US Voiced Human Rights Concerns to Park', KBS News, July 19, 2007, available at http://english.kbs.co.kr/news/newsview_sub.php?menu=2&key=2007071913 (accessed 14 August 2007).
  6. ^ http://www.sisapress.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=42205
  7. ^ See http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200605/200605210002.html.
  8. ^ See http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=516993 and http://ksgaccman.harvard.edu/iop/events_forum_video.asp?ID=3065.
  9. ^ [4] 2011 Yeonhap News article
  10. ^ [5] 2011 Yeonhap News article
  11. ^ [6] 2011 Newsis article
  12. ^ [7] 2011 News Hankook article
  13. ^ [8]
  14. ^ [9]
  15. ^ [10]

[edit] External links

Assembly seats
Preceded by
Kim Suk-won		 Member of the National Assembly
for Dalseong
1998–present		 Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Choi Byeong-ryeol		 Leader of the Grand National Party
2004–2006		 Succeeded by
Gang Jae-seop
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Yuk Young-soo		 First Lady of South Korea
Acting
1974–1979		 Succeeded by
Hong Gi
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