Park Returns to Work, Campaign Trail

“Thanks to your interest and concern, I finally left the hospital and now stand before you. I would like to express my gratitude to you, raising my voice. But, instead, I beg your understanding for not doing that because of my current physical condition.”

That was what Park Geun-hye, the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP)’s leader, said in front of voters in Daejeon on May 29 right after she was discharged from the hospital, where she had stayed for the past 10 days for the treatment of the attack she suffered.

A strengthening campaign for the elections-

Park headed for Daejeon, where competition is fiercest, by her car after being discharged from Severance Hospital in Shinchon, Seoul at about 11:00 a.m. on the same day.

After having a light lunch with soup on her way to Daejeon, she cheered up the party members in the office of Park Sung-hyo, GNP candidate for Daejeon mayor, at about 2:20 p.m. Then she participated in the party’s campaign at Eunhaeng-dong, Jung-gu, the center of Daejeon, with candidate Park at around 3:00 p.m. In a brief speech that ran about one and a half minutes, she appealed to voters, “Vote for Park Sung-hyo. I guarantee his competence. I believe you will vote for him.”

On the street, around 6,000 citizens gave a big hand to the leader, and some of them even shed tears on seeing her, a scene that shows how the so-called Park Pung (a wave of support toward leader Park) is strong.

Park Geun-hye was in a blue suit, an orange shirt and light gray shoes--the same outfit she wore when she was attacked 10 days ago. Aides to Park said the same clothes were to show her determination to start from where her campaign was stopped due to the attack.

With the medical tape on her wound and light makeup on the face, she still seemed to suffer from the pain of the injury. She could neither open her mouth widely nor smile.

‘I still have things to do.’-

Her sudden participation in the campaign was not anticipated even from her aides. The chairperson is said to have told Yoo Jung-bok, the GNP’s executive secretary that she would be going to Daejeon and Jeju, and cast a vote. Although Secretary Yoo said, “Your move will invite criticism that you take advantage of the attack as well as do harm to your health,” Park firmly replied, “As a leader of the GNP and the party’s election campaign, I am only doing what I should do. Doing it the other way is unthinkable.”

She told about 700 supporters at the lobby of the third floor in the hospital, “I leave the hospital because I still have a lot to do. I will take the rest of my life as a gift from heaven and dedicate myself to Korea’s development and security.”

She added, “I am concerned about the injury the attack left in the public’s mind more than the one on my face. I wish all the wounds and conflicts in Korea will end in exchange for my blood and injury.”

How much her campaign will be effective and how the Uri Party would react-

Rather than criticizing Park’s move as too much, insiders of the GNP think that her participation in campaigns will be a big support for the party’s candidates who are running after their competitors with a narrow margin.

The ruling Uri Party was happy about Park’s discharge as it would lift the political burden the party had had due to the attack. But it also seemed to be worried about the effect Park’s participation in the Jeju campaign would bring to the elections.

Uri Party Spokesman Woo Sang-ho said, “I am very happy about Chairperson Park’s discharge. But too much concentration of her on the Daejeon campaign is enough to invite criticism that she still has grudges against Yum Hong-chul, the Uri Party’s candidate for Daejeon mayor who left the GNP.

Park Geun-hye is expected to return to Seoul late in the afternoon on the same day, join the campaign for Hyun Myung-kwan, candidate for Jeju mayor on May 30, and cast a vote in Daegu, where her house is, on the next day.

Jung-Eun Lee lightee@donga.com