North Korean Website Mocks GNP Chair

A website operated by the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, a branch of the North Korean Workers’ Party, ran a satirical poem on Grand National Party (GNP) chairwoman Park Geun-hye mocking her and calling her a “prostitute of the Yushin Movement.”

According to the Internet news site Daily NK on March 15, the site, called, “Our People,” published a series of satirical poems under the heading, “Destroying the GNP.” The first, titled, “Dutiful Daughter” attacked Park.

The poem contained passages including, “The dutiful daughter of the Yushin era, following the footsteps of her cursed father,” more references to prostitution, and allegations that she killed her father.

“Our People” is a leading North Korean media site that opened on April 2003. Pro-North organizations in South Korea such as the People’s Solidarity for Reunification frequently quote from this site.

North Korea’s attack on Park started when a major North Korean newspaper said it should form an anti-conservative movement against Park and the GNP in a New Year’s editorial.

The North Korean Workers’ Party newspaper began publishing a series of stories titled, “Rehashing the Bloody Criminal History of GNP” on January 4. On the same day, North Korea’s Chosun Central Broadcast Station said, “In order not to follow the tragic footsteps of her father, the GNP leader, daughter of the Yushin dictator, should keep quiet and move away from the spotlight.”

The North Korean media maintained a respectful attitude by calling her Ms. Park Geun-hye after she visited Kim Jong Il in May 2002.

zsh75@donga.com