ed Leaders and history

Can’t Park remove label of dictator’s daughter?

Rep. Park Geun-hye is in the hot seat, once again, after she made a series of remarks defending her father’s dictatorial rule. It’s becoming clear that the ruling party’s presidential candidate will not ― or cannot ― criticize even the most outrageous parts of the 19-year-long ironfisted rule by the general-turned-president. If Park’s historical judgment remains at that level, it will be up to voters to judge her basic qualifications as a national leader.

In a radio interview Monday, Park stunned and disappointed listeners by refusing to criticize the People’s Revolution Party (PRP) incident, one of the most glaring ``judicial murders” not just in Korea but in the world committed by the Park Chung-hee regime on April 9, 1975.

It was a notorious elimination of political dissidents by fabricating a pro-communist party and executing its eight members, mostly student activists who opposed military dictatorship, in just 18 hours of sentencing by a military court. The Geneva-based International Jurists’ Council called it ``the darkest day in judicial history.”

So it was only natural a “civilian” court belatedly reversed the ruling in 2007, exonerating the eight innocent victims of all charges.

It seems the case has not been settled for Park, however. “There are two rulings on the incident,” she told the interview. “Besides, there are other testimonies that say PRP was not a fabrication.”

These words more than surprised even those who don’t expect much from Park’s consciousness about democracy and historical justice. She either didn’t know the truth or ignored it in denying the historically-proven fact of making up the pro-communist party. Far more shocking was her virtual denial of the final ruling by still acknowledging the previous one made by court martial. If everybody thinks like her, there will be few reasons for people to obey judicial decisions.

Also, if a presidential contender’s perception of his or her country’s judicial system is like this, it is serious grounds for disqualification. When a leader does not respect one of the three key powers of the state, will citizens do so? Park has already called the May 16, 1961 military coup d’etat when her father took power as a “nation-salvaging revolution” or the ``best choice under inevitable circumstances.” She even called for leaving the Yushin (Revitalizing Reform) ― the senior Park’s dictatorship-prolonging scheme modeled after Japanese fascists’ precedent ― to the “judgment of history.”

Park’s cronies also say, “let’s talk about the future, not the past.” Rep. Lee Hahn-koo, floor leader of the Saenuri Party, demanded the opposition parties stop abusing history for political purposes. But it is Park and her aides who are abusing history and running against the streams of history by justifying past wrongs. The Korean conservatives are copying their Japanese counterparts.

Even many in Park’s own party are advising her to rectify distorted historical views for the sake of the upcoming election. As a person, Park cannot, or should not, deny her father. As a public figure wanting to become nothing less than a national leader, however, Park cannot, and should not, defend a dictator.

“History should go forward, not backward,” said a bereaved family member of the PRP victims. Park, and her aides, must listen, with or without elections.