"Old-fashioned Politics" vs "Conservative Rally" The Recalled Park Family, What Do You Think?

President-elect Yoon Visits Park Geun-hye's Residence: "Will Continue Policies and Widely Promote to Restore Honor"
Analysis Suggests Move Aims to 'Unite Conservative Base' Ahead of June 1 Local Elections
Democratic and Justice Parties Call It "Disrespect to Candlelight Citizens," "Denial of Impeachment, Threat to Democracy"
"Politics Relying on Influence of Specific Figures Like 'Baksim' Is Backward and Old-Fashioned"

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol and former President Park Geun-hye are shaking hands on the 12th at former President Park's residence in Yuga-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu. [Provided by the Office of the President-elect Spokesperson]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Criticism is emerging against politicians who rely on specific figures such as former presidents. Following the candidates who claimed to be successors of the late President Roh Moo-hyun in the last presidential election, this time President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol met with former President Park Geun-hye and declared that he would continue her policies and achievements. In political circles, there is an analysis that Yoon’s actions are a strategy to consolidate conservative forces ahead of the local elections.

On the 12th, President-elect Yoon visited Park’s residence in Daegu. According to a back briefing by Kwon Young-se, Vice Chairman of the Presidential Transition Committee, and lawyer Yoo Young-ha who accompanied the visit, Yoon apologized to Park, saying, "I am sorry for the kind of bad relationship we had in the past as a special prosecutor and a suspect. I have no excuse. I have always been sorry." Yoon also said, "There are very good policies and achievements, but it is very regrettable that those parts have not been properly known," and added, "I will inherit the policies related to what you are doing and widely promote them to restore your honor."

Regarding Park’s father, former President Park Chung-hee, Yoon said, "I have reviewed materials on how the cabinet and the Blue House were operated at that time, and I am meeting people who worked with former President Park Chung-hee to learn how the state affairs were managed."

The interpretation behind Yoon’s actions is that the initial momentum of the Yoon administration’s state affairs depends on the results of the upcoming June 1 local elections. It is seen as a political calculation to smoothly resolve the bad relationship with Park and achieve conservative consolidation in the local elections. Yoon, who investigated the state affairs manipulation scandal as a prosecutor in 2016, has been criticized by Park’s supporters. When Yoon visited the birthplace of former President Park Chung-hee during the presidential primary on September 17 last year, some conservative supporters physically blocked his entry.

◆ Democratic Party and Justice Party criticize Yoon’s apology as "an insult to the candlelight citizens... denying impeachment"

However, criticism poured in from political circles. It is pointed out that Yoon’s apology to Park, who was sentenced to prison and was the subject of the state affairs manipulation investigation led by Yoon, could be interpreted as denying the legitimacy of the investigation and the fact of impeachment.

Cho Oh-seop, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said in a written briefing, "What is President-elect Yoon apologizing for regarding former President Park? If it is a denial of impeachment, it is an insult to the citizens who held candlelight vigils," and questioned, "If it denies the legitimacy of the investigation he led, then what is the judicial justice that Yoon and the prosecution emphasize so much?"

He added, "Is this a statement that can come out based on the awareness of a president-elect and the conscience of a prosecutor?" and criticized, "If Yoon’s apology is a political act with the local elections in mind, he should first realize that he is about to become a president who must uphold political neutrality." Cho further stated, "Yoon’s apology is very regrettable as it will be another seed of conflict rather than national unity," and demanded, "Yoon should apologize to the people for insulting the citizens who held candlelight vigils by apologizing to former President Park."

The Justice Party also emphasized that Yoon’s visit to Park was inappropriate. Jang Tae-soo, spokesperson for the Justice Party, said in a briefing at the National Assembly in the afternoon, "Park is a criminal who destroyed the constitutional order," and added, "A president-elect who is responsible for upholding the constitution should not meet such a person in a hurry. The timing before the local elections makes the meeting even more inappropriate."

Regarding Yoon’s apology to Park, he said, "It is a statement that denies impeachment and threatens democracy," and criticized, "It disparaged the duties of the prosecution, the responsibilities of the National Assembly, and the authority of the Constitutional Court. Personal reflections can be shared, but it was very inappropriate language for a president-elect to publicly express."

On February 18th, Yoon Seok-yeol, then the People Power Party's presidential candidate, visited the birthplace of former President Park Chung-hee in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, and laid a wreath before moving on. [Image source=Yonhap News]

However, Yoon’s side drew a line, saying that the apology to Park should not be overinterpreted as anything more than a courtesy. Bae Hyun-jin, spokesperson for the president-elect, said on the morning of the 13th at a press conference at the Presidential Transition Committee in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, in response to questions about Yoon’s apology, "Although Park is currently recovering her health, she is still very weak. Seeing that, it was a humane expression of sympathy and regret for not having visited her earlier."

◆ Park’s heart (Bak-sim), Yoon’s heart (Yoon-sim), and Myung’s heart (Myeong-sim)... "Relying on the influence of specific individuals is an outdated political behavior"

Some in political circles criticize the politics of relying on specific individuals as outdated. Lee Sang-min, a Democratic Party lawmaker, said on MBC Radio on the 8th about the political marketing competition relying on the influence of specific individuals, "On the People Power Party side, it’s Yoon Seok-yeol’s Yoon-sim, on the Democratic Party side, it’s Lee Jae-myung’s Myeong-sim, and in Daegu, it’s Park-sim. How outdated is this political behavior?" targeting politicians from both ruling and opposition parties.

Lee added, "Holding elections under the influence of specific individuals and the local elections, which are supposed to select local workers, have become quite distorted, faded, and regressive," and said, "It is more desirable to cultivate and reveal the capabilities and visions of local workers and have a fair competition." This was interpreted as a rebuke to some politicians who mentioned Yoon, Park, and Lee Jae-myung, the party’s standing adviser, while running for local elections.

Politicians calling upon former presidents also occurred during the presidential election process. Candidates from both ruling and opposition parties claimed to inherit the spirit of former President Roh Moo-hyun to win over the centrist vote. On February 6, then Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung visited Bongha Village in Gimhae, Gyeongnam, and emphasized that "The dream of creating a world where people live well is the dream of Roh Moo-hyun, the dream of Moon Jae-in, and the eternal dream of Lee Jae-myung," asserting himself as the legitimate successor of the Democratic Party. On February 5, then People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol visited Gangjeong Village in Jeju and said he "engraves in his heart the anguish and determination of former President Roh who built the naval base despite opposition from the progressive camp."

Experts view the behavior of relying on the political power of specific individuals as outdated. Lee Jun-han, a professor of political science and diplomacy at Incheon National University, said, "The criticism that it is an outdated political behavior is not wrong. Especially in local elections, candidates should run by presenting policies, convictions, and their achievements to local voters, but if they try to gain votes by receiving support or backing from specific political leaders, it is not desirable from the perspective of representative democracy."

Regarding Yoon’s visit to Park, Professor Lee said, "There are various analyses in political circles, but I think there were various reasons such as consolidating conservatives in the local elections or a courtesy visit as a president-elect to a former president."