Former GNP Chair Park: Vote for Lee Myung-bak

Former Grand National Party leader Park Geun-hye rode a campaign vehicle in Muan-gun, South Jeolla Province in her first campaign event for Lee Myung-bak on November 30.

Park mentioned the GNP presidential candidate’s name three times. She said, “If you give a chance to GNP candidate Lee, the party will truly endeavor to make Korea a dynamic nation.”

“Vote for Lee Myung-bak”-

As Park Geun-hye stood before about 500 people, a number of university students on Lee’s election committee shouted her name. Park was wearing a jumper.

The former GNP leader said, “I came here to ask you to think of the nation’s future. Five years ago, you gave a chance to the Roh administration; yet that administration has only delivered frustration to the nation in return.”

She appealed, “Democracy is about having the right to judge whether the incumbent government is doing well or not. It is time to give a chance to the GNP. Please vote for Lee Myung-bak.”

She continued, “Over the past five years, the GNP has been working hard to deliver good to the nation, yet we face limitations as an opposition party. Please put us in charge of the mission to move Korea forward and to develop the Honam area (Jeolla Province) further.”

Park remained calm throughout her campaign speeches yesterday. At first she emphasized the need to vote for Lee twice. The speech was reportedly written by her close aide Jeong Ho-seong and finally reviewed by Park herself.

Park moved to meet merchants in an outdoor market in Haenam-gun, and then she visited a elderly learning center in Gangjin-gun, where she sang a Korean song called, “Springtime of My Hometown” with the elderly and asked them “to give Lee a chance.”

“Park did what she could do”-

Lawmakers close to Park seem surprised as it was widely expected that she would only emphasize the need to change the current regime to the GNP.

The day before her first official campaign she even remarked that if Lee was found to be involved in the BBK stock price manipulation scandal, she would stop her endorsements of him.

Lee Hye-hun, a lawmaker close to Park, commented on Park’s first endorsement speech by saying, “Park did all she could possibly do.” Another Park associate said, however, “It is still a possibility that Park could end her support for Lee if his integrity turns out to be tainted. Thus what she said before still holds.”

Lee’s camp hailed Park’s campaign speech. Gwon Oh-eul, an official of Lee’s campaign who accompanied Park to Muan, commented, “I am very thankful. Lee asked me to take great care of Park.”

Some of Park’s supporters, however, staged a protest in front of her house in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu at 7:30 a.m. yesterday. They parked a car in front of Park’s garage and lay down under the car, blocking Park from going to the place where she was scheduled to make endorsement speeches. Park had to travel in Lee Hye-hun’s car parked at a nearby school to the airport. Park was said to have had a stiff face on the way to the airport.

kimhs@donga.com