Park Geun-hye, the daughter of a dictator who discovered democracy
Seoul (AsiaNews) - On December 19, the citizens of South Korea will go to the polls for the election of the new president of the nation. Since Korea is a presidential regime, an election of this kind is in itself of great importance. But the name of one of the three candidates, renders the vote exceptional: Park Geun-hye, daughter of the late President Park Chung-hee, who ruled from 1963 to 1979.
A victory is far from assured, but her life is of such human and political, wealth that she has become a true symbol of the nation in recent decades.
A tragic and exemplary life
When she was born in February 1952 in Daegu, South Korea was in economic misery and political turmoil. Moreover there was the threat of North Korea, with a robust economy and powerful military. In 1961 her father, an army officer stationed in the capital, overthrew the Parliament with a military coup and re-wrote the Constitution, ensuring himself a lifetime of power with the title of president.
When the family moved into the "Blue House" (the official accommodation of the president), Geun-hye was not at ease. Her teachers in primary school described her as sincere, humble, diligent and exemplary. People began calling her the "Notebook Princess " because of her habit of taking notes of all events. She loved the study of languages because, as she wrote in her diary, she saw it as a means to "improve the quality of my life." She knows and speaks four: English, French, Spanish and Chinese.
The two family tragedies
In the early '70s, having completed her university studies, she went to Grenoble, France, where on August 15, 1974 a call from the Korean embassy told her to immediately return to Seoul. She found out why from the French press at the airport on her way: her mother had been murdered in the National Theatre (in Seoul) by a member of the general Korean Association in Japan, an organization that depended on the government of North Korea.
"It was a shock - she wrote in her diary published in 2007 - as if an electric voltage of ten thousand volts had gone through my whole body." Her life changed in direction bringing her to the blue: she became the "First Lady" with her father-president until October 26, 1979, when her father was assassinated by the head of his secret service.
Park and the memory of her father
Park retired from political life for a period described in her autobiography as "a long and lonely journey" committed, however through interviews and articles to enforce her father's legacy. Not an easy task, given the ambivalence of Park Chung-hee. During his presidency, the economy of South Korea enjoyed a rapid development, but at the expense of freedom of opinion. The most serious took place in 1975 when, under martial law, 8 members (mostly young) of a political association against the regime of dictator-president were sentenced to death. The sentence was carried out 18 hours after it was imposed.
The greatest obstacle for Park Geun-hye to win the presidential election is the fact that she is the daughter of the inflexible dictator. The editor of The Korea Times wrote: "As a person Park can not and must not deny her father. However, as a public figure who wants to be none other than the leader of the nation, Park can not and must defend a dictator."
The agony of Park Geun-hye
During the period of forced withdrawal from political life, perhaps in a moment of discouragement, she said: "Power is in vain because disappears like the wind." But she also wrote in her autobiography: "Despair forms me, hope moves me." That is why in 1997, after a long period of private life, she decided to return to politics.
"I decided - she writes - to walk the political path of Park Geun-hye (her name) because I was shocked to see that what the previous generations built could go up in smoke because of the (severe) crisis."
The Grand National Party (conservative party), after suffering a crushing defeat in 2004, called on Park to take on its direction. Since then, there have been electoral victories at the local level and in 2012 the party, which in the meantime had taken on a new name Saenuri (New Frontier Party) won with a good margin. For this and other newspapers have called the general election in 2012: "The return of the queen of elections", Park Geun-hye. And the Saenuri Party presented her as its candidate for the presidential elections on 19 December.
Apologizing for the sins of the father
But in order to move on, not only does she need clarity in understanding the past of her father, but also a lot of courage to denounce his errors. And she's doing it. In August, accepting her candidacy, she said: "I am not here as my father's daughter, but as a presidential candidate of the ruling party, to make known my position on the events of the past that have emerged recently."
She acknowledged that the miraculous economic development during the period of industrialization "has been at the expense of workers' rights" and "the use of security against the constant threat of the Pyongyang regime at the cost of serious violations of human rights by the government authorities. "
And with explicit reference to the three "black" events of the government of her father-the coup (1961), the revision of the Constitution (1972) and the corrupt trial that cost the lives of young activists (1974) - she said: "The three cases have destroyed the spirit of the Constitution of this nation. I sincerely apologize to the victims of these episodes and their families." Then she went to pray at the graves of the innocent executed.
Previously, in reference to these facts she had said that there were two versions and that historians had been unfair. But on Oct. 7, in accepting her party's nomination for the presidency, she raised the issue (the government of her father), as part of morality: "In politics, the ends do not justify the means. This democratic principle is true for both the past and must be respected in the future. "
The "garden of the mother"
On the outskirts of Seoul is a large park called "Children's Park" which, thanks to a network of subways and bus routes is accessible from all parts of the capital. Entering it any day of the week, but especially on weekends, it is a relief for the spirit: everywhere, on the paths, in the lush meadows and on the hills you find children, often of pre-school age, playing or running around freely and their young mothers chatting amongthem.
The idea and the realization of the "Children's Park" belongs toYuk Young-soo, Park's mother, as we have mentioned, who was killed by a political protester in 1974. The profound respect that Park Geun-hye has always had and continues to have for her parents formed her character, her father had the political vision and the will to implement it, her mother the vision, love and respect for the people. In fact, she chose the Catholic University Sogang University in Seoul, run by the Jesuits for her third level studies, probably under the influence of her mother.
Park Geun-hye has never married and admits to being an atheist. Concluding her acceptance speech she said: "My life is the Republic of Korea (ROK.) For the last time I accept the responsibility that I have been given and I will move ahead with the people" .
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