History's Child
While her father, a general who seized power in a 1961 military coup, is revered by many South Koreans, particularly older folk, as a hero, he is also despised for flagrant abuses during his authoritarian rule. So outsize was his power and influence that his legacy remains the prism through which contemporary politics is viewed. Park Geun-hye's political pedigree, thus, is as much curse as blessing — it benefits yet also tarnishes her. To be a figure of unity she will have to overcome her history. "I know that the moniker of a 'President's daughter' will always be with me," she tells TIME. "[But] I know more than anyone the divergent views about my father. I want to be judged on my own merits."
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TIME 100 Political Guide
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On Wednesday, South Koreans chose the daughter of South Korea’s Cold War strongman Park Chung-hee as the country’s first woman president.
Behind the Story: TIME’s Emily Rauhala Discusses South Korea’s First Female President
On Dec. 19, conservative candidate Park Geun-hye won the race for the South Korean presidency. The 60-year-old career politician will be South Korea’s first...
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Last week North Korea launched a missile; South Korea barely flinched. While the world watched Pyongyang, the southern half of the Korean peninsula kept its gaze...
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(SEOUL, South Korea) — Park Geun-hye took office as South Korea's first female president Monday, returning to the presidential mansion she had known as the...
What a Park Presidency Means for South Korea’s Foreign Policy
South Korea is an emerging power. And because it lies in a geopolitical hotspot, with an economy dependent on exports, the new president’s direction of foreign...
South Korea’s Election Paves the Way for a New Presidential Hopeful
Governing party leader Park Geun-hye got an unexpected nod of approval from South Korean voters on Wednesday, as her New Frontier Party took 152 of 300 seats in...
World
A Political Tiger Returns From the Wild in Pakistan As the results of Pakistan's election became apparent in the early hours of May 12, cheering supporters of...
Briefing
'I've been kidnapped and I've been missing for 10 years, and I'm, I'm here, I'm free now.' AMANDA BERRY, in a 911 call on May 6; Berry and two other women, who...
Spies Caught in Website Scandal Embarrass SKorea
(SEOUL, South Korea) — The scandal shaking up South Korea's main spy agency is not cloak-and-dagger stuff, but the kind of low-grade trickery anyone with an...
Articles from Around the Web
S Korea president sorry for' unsavoury' act
Park Geun-hye apologises after spokesman sacked over claims he sexually harassed intern during president's visit to US. ...
South Korean Leader Apologizes for Aide's Behavior
Accusations against President Park Geun-hye's main spokesman have upset South Koreans, who see sexual harassment as a widespread problem. ...
South Korea Seeks Journalist's Arrest in Defamation Case
The journalist Choo Chin-woo was accused of spreading false information about President Park Geun-hye's brother in articles and a podcast in order to block her election. ...
Fired Aide to South Korean Leader Denies Improper Conduct
A former spokesman for President Park Geun-hye of South Korea said his behavior with a young woman during a state visit to Washington was misinterpreted. ...
