Park administration imploding

Scandals involving loyalists, aides hurting leadership

By Kang Seung-woo

A series of scandals involving loyalists and senior aides to President Park Geun-hye are not only damaging her ability to lead, but also signaling that she is entering an early lame duck period, analysts said Wednesday.

Her traditional political strongholds in the southeastern regions are turning their backs on her, angered by the decision to deploy an advanced U.S. anti-missile system in the southeastern county of Seongju.

Park’s aides at Cheong Wa Dae allegedly pulled strings in the ruling Saenuri Party’s nomination process for the April 13 general election — although the presidential office and even President Park herself denied such allegations.

TV Chosun released private phone conversations, Tuesday, in which Hyun Ki-hwan, a former senior presidential secretary for political affairs, pressured a candidate to change his constituency to help Rep. Suh Chung-won, a de-facto leader of those loyal to the President, win re-election during the April 13 general election.

This is the latest in a series of reports alleging influence peddling by the Pro-Park faction in the party’s nominations. Other staunch loyalists, Reps. Yoon Sang-hyun and Choi Kyung-hwan, are also involved in the scandal.

Frustrated by the lopsided nominations, voters refused to support Saenuri Party candidates in the election, in which the party lost its parliamentary majority.

Following the disclosures, Suh gave up his bid for the party chairmanship.

“It was unimaginable in the initial stage of her administration, but as President Park’s term nears its end, such cases have begun to pour out,” said a Saenuri Party lawmaker.

Woo Byung-woo, Park’s top secretary for civil affairs, is facing mounting allegations about his murky connections with arrested prosecutor Jin Kyung-joon in the sale of the latter’s family’s real estate to online game maker Nexon. Jin is behind bars for taking bribes from the company.

In addition, other news reports have also raised suspicion that Woo served as an attorney to secretly defend Jung Woon-ho, a former chief of local cosmetics brand Nature Republic. The disgraced businessman has been detained in a lobbying scandal that allegedly ensnared preeminent figures in the judiciary

Although Woo denied all allegations surrounding him, the scandal is expected to deal a heavy blow to the President’s administration of state affairs as her key aide is at the center of such accusations.

“Although the civil affairs secretary has refuted news reports, they have become a burden to President Park’s handling of state affairs, irrespective of their veracity,” said a Cheong Wa Dae official.

Along with opposition parties urging President Park to dismiss Woo, the ruling party also says that it is necessary to investigate the allegations linked to him.

For President Park, it is a bitter pill to swallow that her usually faithful supporters in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province are turning their backs on her in response to the planned deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in Seongju amid fears about the health risks linked to the system’s X-band radar.

According to a Realmeter poll on Monday, Park’s approval rating in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province declined to 41.4 percent from 50.6 percent following the THAAD decision. In addition, 52.4 percent of respondents there had negative views on Park’s job performance as president.

The drop is noteworthy since the region has staunchly supported President Park in the past.

Kim Chong-in, the interim leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, criticized the government and the Saenuri Party for its poor handling of the current situation.

“It is doubtful that the government and the ruling side are prepared to cooperate with opposition parties in dealing with state affairs,” Kim said in a party meeting at the National Assembly.

“Although the government should take responsibility for national security and the economic crisis, it is taking an overbearing attitude toward the people and political circles.”

His remarks came after the presidential office warned against any “political offensive” regarding Woo and the THAAD deployment that would hurt the government’s efforts to tackle a series of economic and security challenges facing the nation.

In Korea, the head of state usually carries out a Cabinet reshuffle or other personnel changes in a bid to overcome political difficulties and start afresh with a new lineup, but Park has often expressed opposition to such reorganization.

There are growing calls that Park should carry out a thorough personnel reshuffle to re-energize the government.

“Recent bribery scandals and the THAAD decision can derail Park’s focus on stable government operation, so the necessity to replace her Cabinet members and other staff at Cheong Wa Dae is arising as part of self-reform efforts,” said Yoon Hee-woong, a political analyst.