What are the origins of the historical issues? Personal, economic, and national, that the new president of South Korea must face?
Park Geun-hye is the serving president of South Korea and most importantly, the first woman to hold the post in the country. She is serving the eighteenth presidential term in South Korea under the Saenuri Party (First ladies of South Korea, 77). During her campaigns, President Park was portrayed as an equipped female president who was ready to bring changes in dissimilar aspects of the country. This has however remained a controversial issue, since the economic, national and personal issues that the new president is expected to handle, are influenced by certain historical factors. This paper explores on the origin of these issues that president Park is expected to address.
Initially, the new president of South Korea is focused on closing up the political divide that previously existed in the country’s history, in a quest for national unity. This, she seeks to do through the transition team that she appointed to facilitate the change of political office in the country. Her appointments are however carefully made to include people with whom she shares same interest. For example, MS Park appointed Mr Kim Yong-Joon to head the team because he was a conservative like her (South Korea’s new president: Plenty on her plate, 1). Similarly, Mr Kim had initially ruled a case in favour of her father. Additionally, her appointments are careful to incorporate groups that were initially marginalized in South Korean history. She is keen to give important roles to such groups as the inhabitants of Jeolla province, who had had suffered through consecutive military systems of the past.
Economically, Ms Park is interested in enhancing economic democracy in South Korea. This follows the historical economic inequality that existed in the country, which in fact was largely propagated by her father while in office. She is focused on countering the immense power of families that operate the ‘Chaebol’ (large conglomerates) in South Korea (South Korea’s new president: Plenty on her plate, 2).unlike her father, she is keen on ensuring a system of cross holdings where the conglomerates can only be controlled using very minimum capital amounts. Additionally, the new president is focused on enhancing Job creation in these conglomerates to counter the habit of profit maximization that had historically dominated the Chaebol. She is similarly keen to encourage transparency and accountability in the running of the Chaebol. This follows historical cases of corruption, fraud and even evasion of taxes among some conglomerates. Furthermore, Ms Park’s economic transformation will include a broadening in the welfare status in the country. This is because the sector had been historically undermined and opposed by old outgoing conservative officials.
Lastly, some historical factors may affect the current choices that the new president of South Korea is expected to make. It may be a bit difficult for the president to restore the already damaged relationship with some neighbours like Japan. This follows the historical injustices that this country had caused South Korea. With a personal experience of her father having worked in the Japanese imperial army, it may be more difficult for park to be lenient to the Japan government for example (South Korea’s new president: Plenty on her plate, 3).
References
First Ladies of South Korea: Park Geun-Hye, Franziska Donner, First Lady of South Korea. S.l.: General Books, 2012. Print.
South Korea’s new president: Plenty on her plate | The Economist; Retrieved from:
http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21569073-park-geun-hye-prepares-address-some-her fathers-legacy-plenty-her-plate