Chairwoman Park Attends Discussion Conference by the SFCC

Regarding the support to North Korea, Grand National Party (GNP) Chairwoman Park Geun-hye stressed on June 27, “From a point of humanitarian view, South Korea should support with items including food and fertilizers that are required to be aided to the North, but is entitled to call for the North’s humanitarian return courtesy corresponding to our effort.”

In a discussion conference at the invitation of Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club (SFCC) held at the Korea Press Center in Taepyeongno, Jung-gu, Seoul, on the same day, after stating the above, Park said, “The South should express its position over issues including the fate and repatriation of South Korean POWs and abductees in North Korea, separated families, and North Korean defectors to the North, and the North also should keep its promise.” Asked whether she has any intention of serving as a special envoy to the North, Park responded, “If there is any role in a bid to establish peace on the Korean peninsula, I will be willing to do my utmost regardless of its form,” adding, “Taking into account that I am a leader of an opposition party, it is not presumable for me to conduct such a thing.”

Regarding real estate issues, Park denounced the government, “The incumbent has believed that more strict regulations against property speculation and increasing taxes can stabilize the real estate prices, but they only led to increasing the burden of the regular people,” adding, “That is a vivid example that shows how amateurish policies, which ignore the principle of demand and supply and the principle of market and the public’s nature, have exerted influence upon the public.”

Seung-Heon Lee ddr@donga.com