By Kang Hyun-kyung
Rep. Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party expressed her condolences Monday to victims and their families of anti-government protests that took place in southeastern cities in 1979.
“I would like to extend my heartfelt sympathy to the victims and their family members who were sacrificed while fighting for democracy,” Park said in a speech in Masan, South Gyeongsang Province.
“The Saenuri Party and I will do our best to unearth the truth regarding the protests,” Park said.
Her apology followed one she made last month to the families of victims who were imprisoned or executed in connection with the Inhyeok Party Affair, in which the government branded an opposition group as communist sympathizers aiming to overthrow South Korea.
The anti-regime protests occurred in Busan and spread to Masan about a week later before the Saenuri Party candidate’s late father President Park Chung-hee was assassinated. Nearly 100 protestors were then referred to a military court under martial law.
Park’s remarks came on the eve of the 33rd anniversary of the bloody protests.
The so-called Buma situation, triggered by the late Park’s political repression, is now seen in hindsight as a watershed event that saw the demise of the late President’s 16-year autocratic rule. The senior Park established the Yushin Constitution aimed at virtually ensuring his lifetime presidency.
Meanwhile, the presidential candidate also tried to distance herself from the Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation that she once led but is now mired in controversy.
It was established by a Busan-based businessman in 1958 and forcibly taken over by the government when the late Park was in office.
Rep. Park served as chairwoman of the foundation from 1995 to 2005.
The main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) has moved to politicize the controversial foundation to tarnish Park’s image in the lead up to the Dec. 19 election.
It has demanded Park testify during a National Assembly investigation.
DUP floor leader Rep. Park Jie-won said the daughter of the late President had good reason to appear as a witness as she was on the foundation’s payroll for 10 years.
Lee Jung-hyun, chief of Park’s public relations team, has flatly dismissed the call, saying the DUP is trying to politicize the issue ahead of the presidential poll.
“One thing that I would like to make clear now is that Rep. Park has nothing to do with the scholarship foundation, as her chairwomanship of the organization ended seven years ago,” he said.
The scholarship foundation has emerged as a presidential campaign issue as the DUP seeks to discredit Park by raising suspicions over her role within the organization. It allegedly ran biased stories in the Busan Ilbo, which it owns.
Earlier, Park gave her key aides discretion to do whatever they believe necessary to cut her links with the scholarship foundation.
On Sunday, Ahn Dae-hee, head of the political reform committee for Park camp, called on Phillip Choi, chairman of the foundation, to step down. “I know that Choi’s tenure has years left until it ends. Despite this, I think that he has to go right away to protect the presidential candidate,” he said.
Ahn also urged four other board members to resign simultaneously.
The prosecutor-turned-campaign official said he has dug into the case thoroughly to see if there were any wrongdoings as opposition parties have claimed. But he said he found nothing wrong.
His remarks came days after reports that the scholarship foundation was selling its 30 percent stake in MBC and offload the Busan Ilbo to calm the controversy. The revenue will reportedly be used to help children of low-income families in Busan.