Park Geun-hye to press woman president issue in upcoming election

Ruling Saenuri Party presidential hopeful Park Geun-hye is emphasizing the need for a female chief executive who can sympathize with various social issues confronting women in a bid to expand her support base ahead of the December election.

Party insiders said the 60-year-old politician has taken steps to align herself more closely with agendas that directly impact women in the country, with emphasis placed on protecting families.

To this end, the conservative party's standard bearer stressed that if she is elected in the Dec. 19 poll, everything possible will be done to clamp down on sexual crimes, violence in schools, criminals that wreck families, and manufacturing and sale of junk food.

"These policy initiatives can appeal to most women and mothers who are growing increasingly concerned about safety and other negative social developments," said an official from Park's election camp.

The official also said that calls by the presidential candidate to deal more harshly with sexual crimes against children is a sign she is serious about listening more closely to what the public is saying.

On Tuesday, Park said changes should be made to the legal system so that child molesters can be sentenced to death.

This remark is in contrast to her earlier positions on violent crimes against women and children. In the past, her reaction to such crimes was generally not too different from the stance held by government policymakers.

In addition, Park has shown preference to a campaign slogan that portrays her as a woman presidential contender ready and able to govern the country for the next five years.

The slogan is appealing because it showcases Park's 15 years in politics that includes being elected five times to parliament, and leading the party twice during difficult times.

This career sets her apart from her liberal rivals who have little or no experience in public office.

Overall, Park's shift seems to be paying off with polls conducted by the party showing 4-7 percent higher support among women voters toward the Saenuri candidate than those of men.

The numbers may be important because women make up half of all voters, and most pollsters are predicting this year's race will be very close, with margin of victory likely to be very slim.

Saenuri sources, however, cautioned that there is a need to check the woman presidency issue from gaining too much publicity because conservatives, who make up the core of Park's support, generally do not support women participating actively in politics or society.

In addition, the party said that there is a need to guard against attacks by the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) and progressives.

They claimed that this year's election is not about a woman president leading South Korea, but a vote on whether or not to change government.

Critics have also said that Park does not have a "right" to claim she represents gender equality because she has never stood up for women's rights in the past. (Yonhap)