Impeached Park Geun-hye takes center stage in conservative election campaign

Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye has emerged as a prominent figure in the lead-up to the June 3 local elections, making campaign appearances for candidates.

Park visited the Chilseong Market in Daegu on March 23 and then toured the Chungcheong region on March 25. Her schedule includes planned visits to the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (Bu-Ul-Gyeong) regions, as well as Gangwon province. This nationwide tour marks her first public campaigning since her impeachment.

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If candidates give us the trust that they will keep their promises, the people will recognize and choose them.

During her visit to her mother's birthplace in Okcheon, Chungcheong province, Park urged voters to trust candidates who keep their promises. She later met with Daejeon mayoral candidate Lee Jang-woo, describing him as a loyal comrade. She also supported South Chungcheong provincial governor candidate Kim Tae-heum in Gongju.

The former president, who served nearly five years in prison for corruption and abuse of power before being pardoned in December 2021, is drawing mixed reactions. Some within her party see her presence as beneficial for consolidating conservative support, while others question its impact on expanding the party's reach. The Democratic Party has criticized her involvement, with one official calling it an insult to the public to feature impeached former presidents so prominently.

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Lee is a comrade who has been with me for a long time and a steadfast person who maintains loyalty without wavering, no matter how difficult the situation.