 |
By Lee Kyung-min
Testimony from government officials and close associates of President Park Geun-hye have disclosed that she is a "loner," rarely meeting people unless absolutely necessary ― and sometimes even when it is necessary.
According to multiple accounts presented during the National Assembly hearing into the influence-peddling scandal involving Park's confidant Choi Soon-sil last week and this week, Park only rarely met with high-ranking government officials and also preferred having meals alone at her residence inside Cheong Wa Dae.
Given that the main job as head of a country is to listen to people and understand their concerns to better lead it, criticism is inevitable that her lack of communication has resulted in the failure of many policies and eventually of her presidency.
Some internet users have even called her a kind of "hikikomori," a Japanese term referring to a person who avoids meeting others and isolates themselves usually at home.
Ambassador to China Kim Jang-soo, who was the National Security Office chief on the day of the Sewol ferry sinking on April 16, 2014, said Wednesday that he sent a written report about the sinking to both her residence and office at the main building of Cheong Wa Dae, indicating he was not aware of where she was exactly until she appeared in public at 5:15 p.m.
The presidential office has said that Park stayed at the residence and received only phone and written reports about the incident during the first seven hours after the ferry began sinking.
Former presidential chef Han Sang-hoon told a local cable channel that on the day of the disaster, Park had lunch and dinner alone at her residence at noon and at 6 p.m., respectively. He said Park liked to have her meals alone, watching TV, both on weekdays and weekends when she did not have meetings with presidential secretaries or with the Cabinet.
Another report in a vernacular daily said that on her official visit to the U.K. in November 2013, Park asked that a microwave be set up in her hotel room so she could have meals alone.
The paper also reported that Park did not meet people without having her hair and makeup done.
She allegedly spent time having her hair styled ― 20 minutes according to Cheong Wa Dae, and 90 minutes according to another local daily ― during the missing seven hours.
Han also said on the day of his retirement as the presidential chef, Park refused to have a photo taken with him because her hair and make-up was not ready.
Even Park's closest aides had limited access to her. Former chief of staff Kim Ki-choon said during the Assembly hearing last week that there were times when he was unable to meet Park for a whole week.
Cho Yoon-sun and Kim Kyou-hyun, former senior presidential secretaries, also said they never had one-on-one meetings with Park.
