President in crisis

President Park Geun-hye appears beleaguered by what looks to be a power struggle between her trusted confidants and her younger brother Park Ji-man. Judging by the level of acrimony brought into the open following the leak of Cheong Wa Dae’s internal documents, Park runs the risk of sustaining serious damage to her presidency. Only 22 months into the job, it’s conceivable she could now be forced to run out the next three years in office as a lame-duck leader. Whether or not the President can recover will come down to if she can limit the damage this scandal is causing and bounce back strongly. It is pivotal for her to let go of her most trusted inner-circle members at Cheong Wa Dae, as well as, of course, Jeong Yun-hoe. Jeong has been at the center of the “memogate” scandal and the root cause of most of the President’s current woes. The question now is: can she do what is needed and prove she warrants the highest office in the nation? So far, President Park has insisted on sticking to her way of doing things, even under intense pressure. If she remains as stubborn, it is not just her presidency, but the fate of the nation that will be adversely affected. The graphic work shows Park drinking water during her recent meeting with her top aides, while the photos, from left, show her confidants — Jeong Yun-hoe, Park Ji-man and Jeong Ho-sung. / By graphic designer Bae So-young