Former President Park Geun-hye appears to be once again taking a role in politics, appearing on the conservatives' campaign trail.
Park visited the conservative stronghold of Daegu on Saturday, as well as Daejeon and the neighboring Chungcheong provinces on Monday. Her return comes as the major opposition People Power Party struggles to solidify its support base ahead of the June election.
During her appearances, Park endorsed People Power Party candidates, namely mayoral candidates Choo Kyung-ho for Daegu and Lee Jang-woo for Daejeon, and gubernatorial candidates Kim Young-hwan for North Chungcheong Province and Kim Tae-heum for South Chungcheong Province.
Park is also set to visit Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province on Wednesday, and Gangwon Province on Thursday.
All eyes are on what impact the retired politician, once nicknamed "queen of elections," will have on the upcoming election on June 3.
A poll released by Korea Society Opinion Institute on Tuesday showed that support for Choo in Daegu came to 50.1 percent, more than 9 percentage points higher than his Democratic Party of Korea rival Kim Boo-kyum, a former prime minister.
The results marked the first election prediction that showed Choo ahead of Kim in the race by greater than the margin of error. The result came shortly after Park's public appearance to endorse Choo, as the poll was conducted from Sunday to Monday.
Park, the eldest daughter of authoritarian ex-President Park Chung-hee, overcame significant disadvantages in the general elections in her political career. She led campaigns to narrow losses in the 2004 general election and managed to retain the conservative party's majority in the National Assembly in 2012. Such achievements contributed to her victory in the presidential election in December that year.
However, she was ousted by the Constitutional Court in 2017; a broad corruption scandal triggered massive public protests and calls for her removal from office, ultimately leading to her impeachment.
Park was sentenced to 22 years in prison in 2017, but was granted a special pardon in December 2021 by Park's successor, Moon Jae-in.
Rep. Kim Byung-joo of the ruling Democratic Party said Tuesday on his Facebook that Park's failure to keep a low profile in her post-presidential routine betrays the public's expectation.
"Instead of bowing her head before the people (in a show of apology), she is waving her hand to cheering supporters," Kim noted. "A special pardon is an act of compassion bestowed by the people. The only way to repay that compassion is to live a secluded life."
This mirrored remarks by the Democratic Party's gubernatorial candidate for Gyeonggi Province, Choo Mi-ae, who said Monday that Park's return to the campaign trail "should not be tolerated."
"(Park was) the central figure of a sweeping political scandal, and she dares to show up on the campaign trail when even a lifetime of apologies would not be enough," Choo added.
Another Democratic Party lawmaker, Rep. Park Jee-hye, said in a press conference Tuesday that Park's return indicates a lack of leadership in the People Power Party, which will therefore "have a limited impact."
Meanwhile, Rep. Park Jeong-ha of the People Power Party said in a radio interview Tuesday that there was no symbolic figure who could appeal to traditional supporters, adding the former president's appearance on the campaign trail would "help draw traditional right-wing supporters who were reluctant to vote."
The lawmaker is part of the pro-Han Dong-hoon faction that supports the former party chair and stands at odds with the current chair, Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok.
An expert noted that Park's appearance could rally conservative supporters amid dissatisfaction with the current leadership under Jang.
"The conservative party has struggled to shape out the conservative identity, and the identity appears to be established now with Park's presence," said Eom Ki-hong, professor of political science at Kyungpook National University.
"Shy conservatives had been reluctant to disclose their voting intentions because they were embarrassed to do so," he said, adding that, with the conservative identity in place in the wake of Park's return, conservative voters would "no longer have to be embarrassed."
consnow@heraldcorp.com
