History of Park Geun-hye

Park Geun-hye, born on February 2, 1952, in Daegu, South Korea, emerged as a significant political figure and served as the 11th president of South Korea. Her journey in politics is deeply intertwined with her family's legacy and the tumultuous history of South Korean governance in the latter half of the 20th century and the early 21st century.

Park Geun-hye is the eldest daughter of Park Chung-hee, who was the President of South Korea from 1963 until his assassination in 1979. Park Chung-hee came to power through a military coup in 1961 and led a highly authoritarian regime. During his tenure, South Korea underwent significant economic transformation, rapidly industrializing and modernizing the country, which is often referred to as the "Miracle on the Han River." However, his presidency was also marked by political repression and human rights abuses.

After her mother, Yuk Young-soo, was tragically assassinated in 1974, Park Geun-hye stepped into the role of First Lady at the age of 22, alongside her duties as the eldest daughter. This early exposure to the political lime-light shaped her public persona and provided her with a unique insight into the workings of the South Korean political system.

Following the assassination of her father in 1979 by the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA), Park Geun-hye withdrew from political life for the next couple of decades. She studied electrical engineering at Sogang University in Seoul and later pursued further education in France, although she did not complete her studies there.

Park returned to the political stage in the late 1990s, encouraged by supporters who viewed her as a symbol of stability and continuity amidst South Korea's changing political landscape. She became involved with the conservative Grand National Party (GNP), which later rebranded as the Saenuri Party, and was elected to the National Assembly in 1998.

Rising through the ranks of her party, Park built a reputation for effective electioneering and, during her tenure, she was credited with revitalizing the party's electoral fortunes, earning the nickname "Queen of Elections." This political acumen paved the way for her eventual candidacy in the South Korean presidential election.

In 2012, Park Geun-hye ran for president on a platform focusing on economic democratization, welfare expansion, and a trust-building process for the Korean Peninsula. Her candidacy was historic, as she became South Korea's first female president after winning the election with a clear majority. Her tenure began in February 2013.

Park's presidency was characterized by both domestic challenges and efforts to improve international relations. She pursued policies aimed at bolstering South Korea's economy, addressing issues of welfare and demographic challenges, and attempting to mend fractured ties with North Korea through the so-called "Trustpolitik," which aimed to build trust gradually while maintaining a strong defensive posture.

However, her time in office was overshadowed by several controversies and challenges. Domestically, her administration faced criticism over its handling of the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014, in which over 300 people, mostly schoolchildren, died. The government's mismanagement and ineffectiveness in the aftermath of the disaster generated widespread public outcry and weakened her administration's credibility.

The most significant event leading to the downfall of her presidency was the eruption of a major corruption and influence-peddling scandal in 2016, known as the "Choi Soon-sil Gates." Choi Soon-sil, a close confidante and unofficial adviser to Park, was accused of interfering in state affairs, leveraging her relationship with Park for her own personal gain, and coercing donations from major South Korean conglomerates to foundations she controlled. This scandal sparked massive protests across the nation, drawing hundreds of thousands of citizens demanding Park's resignation.

The situation culminated in Park Geun-hye's impeachment by the South Korean National Assembly on December 9, 2016. The Constitutional Court upheld this decision on March 10, 2017, making her the first South Korean president to be ousted from office by impeachment. Following her removal from office, she faced criminal investigation and was subsequently arrested and tried on charges including abuse of power, bribery, and coercion.

In 2018, Park was convicted and sentenced to a lengthy prison term. Her trial and subsequent conviction marked a significant moment in South Korean politics, highlighting issues of corruption and the concentration of power within its political system.

Despite her fall from grace, Park's political career remains a significant chapter in South Korean history, reflective of the ongoing challenge of balancing democratic governance with accountability and transparency. Her story is emblematic of the dramatic shifts within South Korea's political landscape that continue to shape its future.