Ex-Lawmaker Slams Park for Using ‘Mystery’ Tactic

A former lawmaker criticized former Grand National Party chairwoman Park Geun-hye for using the strategy of "looking mysterious" to ramp up her popularity, while she ultimately lacked substance as a solid political leader, JoongAng Ilbo said Saturday.

Park Chan-jong, a former lawmaker, said, "It's wrong for Park to think she could garner popularity and eventually win the next presidential election, by turning to the tactics of 'uttering a few short sentences and screaming' and thereby appearing to look mysterious."

The lawmaker was describing Park's distinctively characteristic speech style.

In a PBC radio program on Saturday, the former legislator, who himself was a presidential candidate in the past, said, "Park is a strong presidential candidate in the next election. A leader should be down on earth, by putting her fingers into the soil before to tell what it is to others. A leader should also express her political stance in an unambiguous manner."

The voting process to revise the law governing the broadcasting industry in the nation this week turned into a fierce brawl, in the face of the opposition camp's attempt to block the process.

Surrounding the controversy of the media bill voting, the ex-legislator, who is currently a practicing lawyer, said, "The bill is invalid for the vice chair of the Assembly to declare that the bill passed," adding "The results showed that there was not enough legally required number of votes for the bill to pass."

The opposition camp regards the new bill is intended to open the door for big businesses and newspapers to run broadcasters, which would practically monopolize the media market, and for the matter, the public opinion.