The bizarre rise and fall of South Korea’s Park Geun- hye
South Korea’s President Park Geun- hye may be forced out of office after parliament voted Friday to back an impeachment bill.
It is the latest upheaval for the nation’s first female leader, whose life and political career have been defined by unusual moments and dramatic twists and turns.
Park’s first public role came in 1974 at age 22 with the assassination of her mother, Yuk Youngsoo. Yuk was killed by a bullet intended for her husband, President Park Chung- hee, a military general who had ruled the Northeast Asian nation since 1961.
In the wake of his wife’s death, the president urged his daughter to assume the role of South Korea’s first lady. But then the controversial strongman himself was assassinated five years later by a member of his own security services.
Park retreated from public life. She studied for an engineering degree and wound up running an educational foundation named after her mother. She never married, unusual in South Korea’s traditional and conservative society. She also became friendly with a shadowy religious figure named Choi Tae- min.
In 2007, a leaked diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks revealed the U. S. Embassy in Seoul had noted Choi was often referred to as “Korea’s Rasputin” and that there were bizarre rumors circulating that Choi “had complete control over Park’s body and soul during her formative years and that his children accumulated enormous wealth as a result.” Park was forced to deny she had a child by Choi.
Today, it is Choi’s daughter, Choi Soon- sil, who is at the center of the influence- peddling scandal that led to the impeachment vote on Park.
Prosecutors allege the younger Choi used her relationship with the president to wield power over Park’s policy decisions and that she also exploited their friendship to manipulate and bully companies, including Samsung and LG, into making massive payments to foundations Choi controlled. The scale of Choi’s reach is alleged to extend even to Park’s wardrobe choices and personal appointments. Park acknowledges she was “negligent” in her affairs but denies any wrongdoing.
South Korea’s Constitutional Court will now review the case and decide within 180 days whether to support impeachment. Park’s No. 2, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo- ahn, has taken over as acting leader until the court reaches a verdict. He said Friday he felt “deep responsibility” over the political scandal that brought down his boss.