Park Geun-hye urges unity at conservative party retreat

Former President Park Geun-hye urged the People Power Party to unite and overcome internal divisions during a party retreat, comparing their current struggle to a caterpillar's arduous transformation into a butterfly. "A caterpillar needs a desperate struggle to tear through a narrow, dark cocoon and emerge as a butterfly," she stated, emphasizing that this period of effort is necessary to regain public trust and eventually reclaim power.

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A caterpillar needs a desperate struggle to tear through a narrow, dark cocoon and emerge as a butterfly.

Speaking at the retreat in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Park addressed the party members, acknowledging their difficult fight against the ruling party. "As a minority party, you are engaged in a tough battle against a giant ruling party," she said. "I thought I should offer words of encouragement, even if small." She stressed the importance of unity for smaller groups, stating, "The smaller you are, the more you must unite and stick together."

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As a minority party, you are engaged in a tough battle against a giant ruling party. I thought I should offer words of encouragement, even if small.

Park highlighted "trust" as the most crucial value in politics, warning against internal strife. "There is a saying, 'Without trust, nothing can stand.' If the nest is broken, the eggs within cannot remain whole," she cautioned. "When facing a majority with insufficient strength, division guarantees a losing outcome. There is no enemy more fearsome than internal division."

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The smaller you are, the more you must unite and stick together.

She further advised that while diverse opinions are natural within a party, they should not devolve into hatred or negation of one another. "Especially in difficult times, you must move forward with unity centered around the leadership," she implored. Park also outlined key conservative priorities, emphasizing national security and people's livelihoods. She stated that in the current crisis, with North Korea declaring South Korea an enemy, the ruling party must take a more responsible stance on national security than the government. Regarding the economy, she asserted, "The economy is not about numbers, but about embracing the lives of the people," calling for people-centered administrative policies.

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There is a saying, 'Without trust, nothing can stand.' If the nest is broken, the eggs within cannot remain whole. When facing a majority with insufficient strength, division guarantees a losing outcome. There is no enemy more fearsome than internal division.