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Park Geun-hye
Hangul	박근혜
Hanja	朴槿惠
Revised Romanization	Bak Geunhye
McCune–Reischauer	Pak Kǔnhye

Park Geun-hye
박근혜 朴槿惠
	Park Geun-hye; 박근혜 朴槿惠
	;
	Member of the South Korean National Assembly; for Dalseong, Daegu
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; April 1998
Preceded by	Kim Suk-won
Born	1952; Daegu
Political party	Grand National Party
Website	www.parkgeunhye.or.kr/english

This is a Korean name; the family name is Park.

Park Geun-hye (born February 2, 1952) is a South Korean politician. She is a member of the 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. As of 2009, She is considered the closest to be elected to be the next president of South Korea with the 40% of approval rating ^[1] and as the most influential politician in Korea.^[2]

[edit] Early life and education

Born in Samdeok-dong of Jung-gu, Daegu, Park now resides in nearby Gumi City. 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. In 1987, she earned her doctoral degree from Chinese Culture University in Taiwan. Park was also the chairwoman of the board of Yeungnam University from 1982 to 1991.

[edit] As First Lady

Park lost her mother to a leftist Korean Japanese assassin in 1974. 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 (political opponents of her father's military dictatorship) continued to be subject to arbitrary detention and torture, and human rights were considered subordinate to economic development.^[3] Park Geun-hye has expressed regret at the treatment of pro-democracy activists during this period.^[4]

[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.^[5]

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.

Park has two siblings, one of whom is her younger brother Park Ji-man, who was infamous for his drug convictions. The other sibling is her younger sister Park Seo-yeong, who is currently the executive director of Yookyoung foundation.

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.^[6]

[edit] 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.

Actually, 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. Surrounding people of Park argued that it is 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 60 supporters of Park in GNP.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

^ [1] 2009 survey by Realmeter
^ [2] 2009 survey by Herald Business
^ C.I. Eugene Kim, 'Emergency, Development, and Human Rights: South Korea,' Asian Survey 18/4 (April 1978): 363-378.
^ 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).
^ See http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200605/200605210002.html.
^ See http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=516993 and http://ksgaccman.harvard.edu/iop/events_forum_video.asp?ID=3065.

[edit] External links

Official website
"Star Rises for Daughter of South Korea", The Washington Post, March 15, 2005.
"Park Geun Hye's Dictatorial Heritage", The Hankyoreh, July 27, 2004.
"Park Geun-hye Elected New GNP Chairperson", The Chosun Ilbo, March 23, 2004.
Watch Park Geun-hye at the JFK Jr. Forum at Harvard University on 2/12/07
GNP flings hard queries at its own leaders, JoongAng Ilbo, July 20, 2007.

Political offices
Preceded by Kim Suk Won	National Assemblyperson of Dalsung-Gun, South Korea (15th - 18th) 1998-2008	Succeeded by -
Preceded by Choi Byung Ryel	Head of Grand National Party 2004-2006	Succeeded by Kim Young Sun

[2009_survey_by_Realmeter-0] [1] 2009 survey by Realmeter

[2009_survey_by_Herald_Business-1] [2] 2009 survey by Herald Business

[2] C.I. Eugene Kim, 'Emergency, Development, and Human Rights: South Korea,' Asian Survey 18/4 (April 1978): 363-378.

[3] 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).

[4] See http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200605/200605210002.html.

[5] See http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=516993 and http://ksgaccman.harvard.edu/iop/events_forum_video.asp?ID=3065.

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