Former President Park promises to repay support, but from outside politics

President Park Geun-hye answering questions during an event, marking the publishing of her memor, at the Bareumi Hotel Inter-Bulgo in Daegu on Monday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Former President Park Geun-hye said while she has distanced herself from politics, she promised to return the support that she has received from the public.

On Monday, Park attended an event to mark the publishing of her memoir in Daegu.

The memoir is a collection of accounts of her presidency and the tumultuous impeachment period that has been published in the Korea JoongAng Daily’s sister media JoongAng Ilbo since October last year.

It chronicles her political journey, from leading the conservative party twice and being impeached in 2017 until her release under a special pardon granted by President Yoon Suk Yeol last year.

The memoir went on sale the same day.

During the event, she acknowledged making mistakes but emphasized that she never engaged in any actions as president that she was ashamed of.

"Along with the people's support, and the fact that I could stand proudly, having committed nothing to be ashamed of during my presidency, served as my pillar of strength that helped me endure,” Park said.

At the event, Park also addressed her impeachment, which originated from a close relationship with Choi Seo-won, known as Choi Soon-sil.

'I was troubled by disappointing the people through the mismanagement of those close to me,” Park said. “However, I endured, believing that the truth would come out.”

Despite Choi not holding any official government title or being appointed as an official adviser to President Park, she was accused of acting as a shadow adviser.

Choi's involvement in significant Blue House decisions ultimately led to Park's impeachment.

She also denied rumors about the seven hours she went missing when the Sewol ferry sank in 2014, which claimed the lives of nearly 300 passengers, mostly high school students on a field trip.

Some have accused her of engaging in trivial activities like doing her hair when the Sewol ferry sunk.

Park also denied claims of a relationship with her former secretary, Chung Yoon-hoi, Choi Soon-sil's ex-husband.

“I believe [I faced such rumors] because I am single and a woman,” Park said. “I had considered taking legal action but found no reason to address the absurd issues.”

The former president said she made every effort to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear arsenal while adopting a stern response to provocations from Pyongyang.

“Protecting the country and its people is the biggest responsibility of a president,” Park said.

On the compensation agreement with Japan over the Korean comfort women, Park said she wanted to end the issue instead of passing down the burden to future generations.

“Even if it meant giving in, a decision had to be made,” Park said. “Looking back, it was the best we could do.”

Park said she believed that her successor, Moon Jae-in, was heading in the wrong direction.

"The GSOMIA [General Security of Military Information Agreement] was crucial for our national security," Park said. referring to the bilateral military intelligence information exchange pact signed with Japan during her presidency.

"I felt reassured that I had fulfilled my duty by signing the agreement in November 2016, just before being sent to prison," Park added.

However, GSOMIA was suspended in 2019 during escalating tensions between the Moon administration and the Japanese government sparked by a Korean court ruling on forced labor during the Japanese colonial period.

The agreement was only restored last year during a meeting between President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida.

Approximately 800 people attended the hour-and-a-half-long event, including former government officials who served under Park, such as Chief of Staff Kim Gi-chun, head of the National Security Office Kim Kwan-jin, former Defense Minister Han Min-goo, and former Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun.

Since her visit to a Buddhist temple in Daegu on April 11, Park has been gradually increasing her public appearances.

However, this event was the first where she had engaged in conversations with the public on various issues.

Reflecting on her memoir, President Park expressed her belief that, despite being an impeached president, it was her duty to candidly recount her time in office and, afterward, present events as they unfolded, irrespective of judgments.

BY SOHN KOOK-HEE, LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]