By Sah Dong-seok
Deputy Managing Editor

Park Geun-hye, former chairwoman of the governing Grand National Party (GNP), has bitter memories about her parents. Her father, former president Park Chung-hee, was shot to death at an evening binge near the presidential mansion by one of his cronies when his dictatorial rule was culminating in the late 1970s. Her mother, former first lady Yuk Young-soo, was killed on the National Liberation Day by a Japanese-born North Korea sympathizer more than five years before her father's death.

During the intervening period between the tragic deaths of her parents, Park had a chance to examine the mechanisms of political power first-hand while serving as the de facto first lady for nearly five years from the early age of 22. This unusual experience may have prompted her to feel the cruelty of politics, cultivate her ``will to power'' and plunge her into politics.

Due to her personal tragedies and celibacy (to ask Mr. Sah), she is often seen as being stony and cold, but her aides say she is friendly and warm.

Few will dispute that Park is the front-runner in the lead-up to the 2012 presidential election. According to a telephone survey on favored presidential candidates conducted by Realmeter in mid-November, Park maintained her unrivaled No. 1 position with support of 40.2 percent. Rhyu Si-min, a confidant of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, ranked second with 15.3 percent, followed by Chung Dong-young with 9.3 percent, GNP Chairman Chung Mong-joon with 8.6 percent and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon with 6 percent.

She has remained aloof from state affairs owing to her enmity with President Lee Myung-bak even after her party retook power. She must have felt the bitterness of politics and animosity toward President Lee after seeing some of her confidants in the party eliminated from the nomination process for last year's general elections.

More recently, the planned administrative town of Sejong City in South Chungcheong Province has escalated into a fiery issue that pits Park against President Lee. Lee, along with Prime Minister Chung Un-chan, insists on revising Sejong City, alleging that the original plan, if it goes unchecked, will result in a disaster for the nation ― a ghost town even after the spending of more than 22 trillion won. In contrast, Park and her followers are adamant to stick with the original plan, saying it was a promise to the nation as well as to those in the Chungcheong provinces, made after numerous discussions and serious consideration.

For now, there seems to be no middle ground between Lee and Park on the issue. On the part of Park, in particular, agreeing to the revision of the original plan would be a tough political decision, considering the fact she places top priority on maintaining her principles.

The ruling GNP will be unable to work on the Sejong City bill unless its pro-Park faction, comprised of more than 50 lawmakers, joins the deliberation of the contentious bill at the National Assembly. Aside from the deadlock over Sejong City, the National Assembly is expected to be a partisan battlefield due to the contentious four river restoration project and other thorny issues through the end of this year.

Some political watchers say Park will benefit from the Sejong City brawl, predicting that Chungcheong residents will stand behind her and ultimately support her in the 2012 election. Given that those in metropolitan Seoul and other provincial areas remain relatively indifferent on the issue, her sticking with the original plan might end up as a plus for her.

But now it seems to be high time for Park to emerge from her long hibernation and speak up. This means that she should not be swayed by regional interests but become a genuine national leader for the sake of the country.

Specifically, she has to strike a grand compromise with President Lee concerning the administrative town project before it's too late, whether their solution involves the original plan or a revised one. Park has good reason to cooperate with Lee with regard to this issue because she has a fair share of responsibility for the latest Sejong City fiasco ― she was leading the then-opposition GNP when the governing party passed the administrative town bill amid "yes" votes from some GNP lawmakers. At the time, Park abstained.

Now she may be thinking that it would be better for her to fold her arms and watch the Lee administration collapse, for the benefit of her campaign in 2012. But this could be a miscalculation because history shows that there are no free lunches in life. Even if there aren't any to be seen in opposition circles at the moment, viable competitors will emerge over time.

Furthermore, Park, as a female leader, has to head off tough challenges in order to become the first woman president of this Confucian society. Obtaining cooperation from those in power now will be a must as well.

sahds@koreatimes.co.kr