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96-525: Organizing Committee for People’s Candlelight Demonstrations in Korea: Support: Protesters Miscellaneous right-wing groups Non-centralised Leadership Park Geun-hye Hwang Kyo-ahn Non-centralised Leadership The 2016–2017 South Korean protests were a series of protests against President Park Geun-hye that occurred throughout South Korea from November 2016 to March 2017. Protesters denounced
192-639: A bachelor's degree in electronic engineering from Sogang University in 1974. She briefly studied at Joseph Fourier University in France, but left following the murder of her mother. Park's mother was killed on 15 August 1974, in the National Theater of Korea ; Mun Se-gwang , a Japanese-born ethnic Korean sympathizer of North Korea and member of the Chongryon , was attempting to assassinate her husband, President Park Chung Hee. Park Geun-hye
288-525: A "Creative Economy" on 5 June 2013, representing her vision for economic revival and job creation. In April, Park said "Timing is very important for our economic policy, jobs and livelihood mainly ordinary people should organize a supplementary budget in a timely manner." She encouraged the gig economy . On 8 April 2014, Park signed the Australia–Korea Free Trade Agreement with Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott . Park proposed
384-495: A 2012 interview with the Cheongju broadcast station CJB , Park commented regarding her stance that her father's May 16 coup was a "revolution to save the country" by stating, "I don't think it's the place of politicians to be fighting over whether [the events of 1961] were a 'coup d'etat' or a 'revolution'." In a July 2012 survey, 50% of respondents answered that they disagreed with Park's assessment that her father's 1961 coup
480-476: A 2012 survey by Korean Research assessing the political stance of twelve potential presidential candidates of South Korea, Park was considered the most conservative candidate. Her conservative, market-oriented political stance was well reflected in her campaign pledge for 2008 presidential bid to cut taxes, reduce regulation, and establish strong law and order. Since 2009, however, Park started to focus more on welfare issues, advocating customized welfare services to
576-541: A 22 September national survey. Park was elected as president of the Republic of Korea on 19 December 2012, with the approval of 51.6% of Korean voters. In 2017, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) admitted that it had conducted an illicit campaign to influence the 2012 presidential election , mobilizing teams of experts in psychological warfare to ensure that Park defeated Moon. In
672-472: A 236-member delegation of businessmen and entrepreneurs during a three-day visit to Tehran to discuss bilateral trade and other matters of mutual interest. She met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and held talks with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei . The two countries also signed 19 basic agreements to expand mutual cooperation over a variety of areas. Earlier, Iran's President Rouhani emphasized that Iran and South Korea were set to boost their trade volume from
768-530: A South Korean delegation, where she met with Xi Jinping , the Chinese president. On 13 November 2013, Park held an extended meeting with President Vladimir Putin, whose visit to South Korea was the first among leaders of four major powers including the United States, China, and Japan. During the meeting, Park and Putin considered combining Korea's Eurasian Initiative and Russia's Asia-Pacific Policy. After
864-585: A close relationship with the U.S., which has over 20,000 soldiers stationed in South Korea . During her visit to the U.S., she addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress, where she called for a united front against any North Korean provocations. Park also called for a strong global relationship between South Korea and the United States. Park visited the United States on her first overseas trip as president. She traveled to Washington, D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles on 5–9 May 2013. During summit talks at
960-745: A controversy, due to the claim that his firing had been done via text message. On October 29, the first candlelight protest was held with about 20,000 participants (estimates range from 10,000 to 30,000). The numbers grew rapidly in the following weeks. On November 1, a man used an excavator to crash into the front entrance of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office building during a protest in Seoul. On November 5, people attended rally early on Saturday evening petition for Park's resignation. The police estimated 43,000, but organizers claimed more than 100,000. On November 12, four officers were injured during
1056-407: A higher approval rating (50.6%) than Ahn (43.9%) in a two-way competition as of 11 September . The opposing Democratic Party of Korea elected Moon Jae-in as its presidential candidate on 17 September, while Ahn announced his presidential bid on 19 September . Although still a leading candidate, Park had a lower approval rating than both Ahn and Moon when engaged in two-way competition, according to
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#17327911452221152-402: A military standoff with North Korea, but in the aftermath of her party's 2016 election loss, her ratings fell to 31.5 percent, plunging 8.1 percentage points compared to the week before the election. On 4 November 2016, Park's ratings fell to 4–5% as details of her relationship with Choi Soon-sil were investigated and exposed in what became the 2016 South Korean political scandal . Park
1248-501: A new era of peace and hope on the peninsula, North Korea needs to accept her administration's trust-building policy initiative". Park's policy vision and initiative on issues concerning North Korea and unification are reflected in her Korean Peninsula Trust-building Process. The Ministry of Unification announced a new vision statement "realizing a new unified Korea that ensures everyone's happiness". The administrative tasks for this cause include normalizing inter-Korean relations through
1344-570: A new nuclear test by North Korea could lead to "a nuclear domino effect", that might provide its neighbors with a pretext to arm themselves with nuclear weapons. On 18 May 2014, Park announced South Korea's "plans to break up its coastguard" after failing to respond well during the MV Sewol ferry disaster . According to Park, "investigation and information roles would be transferred to the South Korea National Police while
1440-408: A one million turnout and pro-Park supporters said they had attracted three million. The demonstrations come as court prepares to hold final hearing on president's impeachment over corruption scandal. After Constitutional court removed Park Geun-hye from power over a corruption scandal, ousted South Korean President Park Geun-hye maintained her silence on Saturday as her opponents and supporters divided
1536-472: A public image of standing aloofly above the fray of politics. In September 2011, Ahn Cheol-soo , a former venture IT businessman and the Dean of Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology at Seoul National University , emerged as a strong independent presidential candidate. In September 2011 national presidential polls, Ahn and Park closely competed for the status of frontrunner, with Park losing
1632-427: A rally in favor of impeachment at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul were assaulted with their fists by two men who participated in the rally Two Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation staff, reporter Kim Se-ui and announcer Choi Dae-hyun, had their photo taken with "Ilbe Monk" Jeong Han-Yeong holding a giant novelty shield with US and Korean flags emblazoned with the slogan "It's OK to kill commies." In July 2018, it emerged that
1728-498: A result. The Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment by a unanimous 8–0 ruling on 10 March 2017, thereby removing Park from office, making her the first Korean president to be so removed. On 6 April 2018, South Korean courts sentenced her to 24 years in prison (later increased to 25 years) for corruption and abuse of power . In 2018, two separate criminal cases resulted in an increase of seven years in Park's prison sentence. She
1824-583: A tally much greater than the required 2/3 majority and which included 62 members of Park's Saenuri Party . The Impeachment process then moved to the Constitutional Court of Korea which could take 180 days to review the impeachment. Park Geun-hye was finally impeached on March 10, 2017. On October 31, 2016, a group of conservative protesters organized a protest in front of the South Korean media JTBC headquarters, claiming its coverage of
1920-527: A three-judge panel of the Central District Court in Seoul sentenced Park to 24 years in prison and a fine of ₩18 billion ( US$ 16,798,683 ), finding her guilty of 16 out of 18 charges brought before her. In June 2018, three former NIS directors (Lee Byung-kee, Lee Byung-ho, and Nam Jae-joon) who served in the Park administration were found guilty of bribery, related to the 2016 Park Geun-hye scandals . They illegally transferred money from
2016-472: A trust-building process, embarking on small-scale unification projects that will lead to a complete integration of the two Koreas, and taking practical measures to prepare for unification by strengthening unification capabilities. According to Park, peaceful unification will be achieved in a three-stage unification initiative: starting from securing peace, going through economic integration, and finally reaching political integration. To achieve sustainable peace by
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#17327911452222112-399: A younger brother, Park Ji-man, and a younger sister, Park Geun-ryeong. She is unmarried with no children. Pew Research Center described her as an atheist with a Buddhist and Roman Catholic upbringing. In 1953, Park's family moved to Seoul , where she graduated from Jangchung Elementary School and Sungshim (literal: Sacred Heart) Girls' Middle and High School in 1970, going on to receive
2208-581: Is a South Korean politician who served as the 11th (18th presidency) president of South Korea from 2013 to 2017. Park was the first woman to be elected president of South Korea, and also the first female president popularly elected as head of state in East Asia. She was also the first South Korean president to be born after the founding of South Korea. Her father, Park Chung Hee , was president from 1963 to 1979, serving five consecutive terms after he seized power in 1961 . Before her presidency, Park
2304-706: Is a governmental building for the Seoul Metropolitan Government in South Korea , in charge of the administrative affairs of Seoul . It is located in Taepyeongno , Jung-gu , at the heart of Seoul. It is connected to City Hall Station (Seoul) on Seoul Subway Line 1 , with access to Seoul Subway Line 2 from the same station. In front of the current city hall is the old city hall building, now Seoul Metropolitan Library , and Seoul Plaza ( Korean : 서울광장 ). The former city hall of Seoul
2400-451: Is the consensus of Korean news media and political experts that the most important factor leading to Saenuri Party's victory was Park's leadership. For this reason, the 2012 election was often dubbed the "return of the Queen of Election". The party's defeat in the populous Seoul metropolitan area in this election, however, revealed the limitation of Park's political influence. Park had been
2496-586: The 2012 general election , the Saenuri Party achieved a surprise win against the opposing Democratic United Party , winning 152 seats and retaining its majority position. Because of the corruption scandals of the Lee administration revealed before the election, the party was widely expected to win no more than 100 seats. During the 13-day campaign period, Park traveled about 7,200 km (4,500 mi) around South Korea, visiting more than 100 constituencies. It
2592-611: The Chinese Culture University in Taiwan in 1987, Pukyong National University and KAIST in 2008, Sogang University in 2010, and TU Dresden in 2014. Park was elected a Grand National Party (GNP; later the Liberty Korea Party, or Saenuri Party) assemblywoman for Dalseong County (Daegu) in the 1998 by-election , and three more times in the same electoral district between 1998 and 2008, being
2688-937: The Defense Security Command made plans for declaring martial law and authority to use military force to crack down on protesters, if the Constitutional Court did not uphold Park's removal from office. The DSC had planned to mobilize 200 tanks, 550 armoured vehicles, 4,800 armed personnel and 1,400 members of special forces in Seoul in order to enforce martial law. Other components of the plan included monitoring and censoring media content and arresting politicians taking part in protests. Park Geun-hye Park Geun-hye ( Korean : 박근혜 ; RR : Bak Geunhye ; IPA: [pak‿k͈ɯn.hje] ; often in English / ˈ p ɑːr k ˌ ɡ ʊ n ˈ h eɪ / ; born 2 February 1952)
2784-557: The National Assembly 's vote to impeach Park, hundreds of thousands gathered for weekly protests celebrating the move. But, on December 17, pro-Park supporters held their first major demonstrations in Seoul, with organizers claiming an attendance of one million. They called for the reinstatement of the currently impeached president. On December 24, 550,000 people held the Christmas Santa Rally , calling for
2880-604: The White House , Presidents Park and Obama adopted a joint declaration for the American-South Korean alliance and discussed ways to further develop the bilateral relations in a future-forward manner. Also, the two leaders discussed ways to promote cooperation in building peace in the Northeast Asian region and strengthen the partnership between Seoul and Washington. The two leaders of South Korea and
2976-661: The Blue House, Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning , and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries were newly launched, and the seat of Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs was revived. The Chief of the National Security Office would act as a "control tower" for diplomatic, security, and national defense issues, and the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs for economic, social, and welfare issues. Park announced her plan to build
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3072-586: The Development of Russian Far East Viktor Ishaev, who headed the Russian delegation to Park's inaugural ceremony, she stated that Russia was one of Korea's key strategic partners. North Korea had engaged in provocations such as violating a UN Security Council resolution and firing a long-range missile on 12 December 2012, just before 19 December presidential election. After Park was elected, North Korea conducted its third nuclear test 12 February 2013, nullified
3168-519: The GNP, resulting in approximately 50 to 60 assembly members who supported Park out of 171 in the GNP. In 2011, as a response to the dwindling approval rating of the GNP, the party formed an emergency committee and changed its name to the Saenuri Party, or "New Frontier" Party. On 19 December, Park was appointed as the chairwoman of the emergency committee, the de facto leader of the party. In
3264-575: The Kaesong Industrial Complex. Park said that peace and unification on the Korean peninsula is the wish of all 70 million Koreans and that as president she will do her utmost to meet such a goal. As well, "the ultimate objective of reunification efforts is to improve the quality of life of people in both Koreas, to further expand freedom and human rights, and [from there] build a prosperous Korean Peninsula." She later stated, "to open
3360-629: The Korean Peninsula Trust-building Process. In her inauguration speech, Park presented four guiding principles to realize her administrative vision: economic prosperity, people's happiness, cultural enrichment, and establishment of a foundation for peaceful unification. Park's inauguration ceremony was the largest one in South Korean history with 70,000 participants. Diplomatic representatives in Korea, as well as high-level delegates specially sent from 24 countries around
3456-588: The Korean Peninsula". The Park Geun-hye administration planned to create a trustworthy, clean, and capable government by carrying out these goals, related strategies, and tasks. Park chose not to vote in the 2017 South Korean presidential election . Park became the 11th president of South Korea on 25 February 2013. At midnight, she took over all presidential authorities including the prerogative of supreme command of South Korea's armed forces from her predecessor Lee Myung-bak. In her inauguration speech at
3552-426: The Korean people. Park was well known for her strict adherence to political promises. In 2010, for example, she successfully stopped the Lee administration's attempt to cancel the plan to establish Sejong City , a new national center of administration, arguing that the plan was a promise made to the people. This conflict between Park and the Lee administration cost her a considerable decrease in her approval rating at
3648-605: The Lee administration. A national-level poll conducted in July 2012 by a conservative newspaper reported that 59% of participants responded they did not believe Park was a "daughter of a dictator" while 36% agreed with the characterization. Park Chung Hee's status as a dictator became a contested topic after the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis . GNP party elites saw this as their chance to revitalize Park Chung Hee's image, focusing on South Korea's economic growth during his administration, thus steadily changing his public perception. During
3744-456: The NIS budget to Park's presidential office. This illegally obtained money was used by Park and her associates for private use and to pay bribes. On 24 August 2018, Park's sentence was increased to 25 years in prison. In July 2020, an appellate court reduced Park's prison sentence to 20 years after a retrial, taking into account that she "received little personal benefit" from her offences, and Park
3840-546: The National Assembly building, Park spoke of her plan to open a new era of hope through "economic prosperity, people's happiness, and cultural enrichment". She particularly expressed her hope that North Korea would give up its nuclear arms and walk on the path of peace and mutual development, and declared that the foundation for a happy era of unification in which all Korean people will be able to enjoy prosperity and freedom and realize their dreams would be built through
3936-534: The Park administration's 2016 political scandal and called for the resignation of Park Geun-hye. After the impeachment of Park Geun-hye on corruption charges in December, the pro-Park rallies mobilized thousands of protesters for counter demonstrations. In February 2017, the Liberty Korea Party , at the time the ruling party of South Korea, claimed that the size of pro-Park rallies had surpassed
2016–2017 South Korean protests - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-462: The Park's immediate removal. On December 31, South Koreans celebrate New Year's Eve with mass protest. Over 1 million people take to the street according to Organizer, brought the cumulative number of people who have attended the protests since October to 10 millions, the largest weekly protest in South Korean history. On January 7, hundreds of thousands of protestors returned to the streets of Seoul demanding impeached President's immediate removal and
4128-418: The United States . Park hoped to emulate her father's success by becoming the presidential nominee of the GNP. She eventually lost to Lee Myung-bak by a narrow margin. Lee had a commanding lead at the beginning of the primary season, but Park was able to narrow the gap through allegations of Lee's corruption. Park won the "party members' bid", but she lost the "national bid", which is a larger percentage of
4224-441: The United States agreed to adopt a joint statement on comprehensive energy cooperation to build a foundation for a future growth engine, and establish a policy cooperation committee on information and communication technology. In addition, Park urged her U.S. counterpart to expand the annual U.S. visa quota for South Korean professionals in order to promote co-development of both economies. On 27–30 June 2013, Park visited China with
4320-414: The anti-Park rally. Rhee In-je of the ruling Saenuri Party attended the pro-Park rally "to be part of the patriotic people's wave," while Ahn Cheol-soo, a former chair of the minor opposition People's Party, did not attend either rally. After Samsung vice-chairman Lee Jae-Yong was arrested at February 17 by Special Prosecutors on charges of bribery in connection with the scandal, 700,000 people walked to
4416-414: The bribery scandal of its 2002 presidential candidate, Lee Hoi-chang (revealed in 2004), the GNP was facing a defeat in the 2004 general election . Park was appointed chairwoman of the party and led the election efforts. In the election, the GNP lost its majority position but managed to gain 121 seats, which was largely considered a great achievement under such inhospitable circumstances for the party. As
4512-547: The capital's streets with massive rallies that showed a nation deeply split over its future. Carrying flags and candles and cheering jubilantly, tens of thousands of people occupied a boulevard in downtown Seoul to celebrate Park's ouster. Meanwhile, in a nearby grass square, a large crowd of Park's supporters glumly waved national flags near a stage where organizers, wearing red caps and military uniforms, vowed to resist what they are calling "political assassination." Nearly 20,000 police officers were deployed on Saturday to monitor
4608-420: The chairwoman of the GNP, Park helped her party make significant gains in local elections and actually obtain a majority in 2006. During the campaign, on 20 May 2006, Ji Chung-ho, a 50-year-old man with eight criminal convictions, slashed Park's face with a utility knife, causing an 11-centimeter wound that required 60 stitches and several hours of surgery. A famous anecdote from this incident occurred when Park
4704-474: The current $ 6 billion to $ 18 billion. Park suffered a serious setback in the 2016 general elections on 13 April 2016, as the Saenuri Party lost both its majority and its status as first party in the National Assembly. Park had been criticized for her involvement in the elections and the party's nomination process, and other Saenuri members blamed the pro-Park faction in the party for the defeat. Park loyalists fared badly in constituency elections. The result
4800-472: The demonstrations. Twenty-six protesters were taken to hospital with injuries and a further 29 were treated at the scene of the protests. On November 19, a large number of South Korean high school students also joined the crowds after taking the college entrance test . A short drive away from the protest, a group of conservative counter protesters gathered outside Seoul station in defense of the president until December 17. On November 28, 1.9 million people hit
4896-498: The eradication of "Four Major Social Evils" (사 대회악: "sa dae hwe ak") – sexual violence, domestic violence, school violence, and unsafe food. Statistics showed that sexual violence and domestic violence increased during these years. Without referring to statistical data, aggravating school violence or food safety is a public concern in South Korea. She also launched the National Unity Committee on 17 June with
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#17327911452224992-559: The incumbent assemblywoman until April 2012. In 2012, Park announced she would not run for a constituency representative seat for the 19th election in Dalseong, but for a proportional representative position for the Saenuri Party instead, in order to lead the party's election campaign. She was subsequently elected as a proportional representative in the April 2012 election . Due to the failed attempt to impeach President Roh Moo-hyun and
5088-498: The initiative, the new administration will offer humanitarian assistance for the people in North Korea, inter-Korean exchange and cooperation in economic, social, and cultural areas, and will apply 'Vision Korea project' for establishing a single economic community in the Korean Peninsula, conditioned on sufficient mutual trust and progress in denuclearizing North Korea. Park proposed three steps to North Korea to help move toward
5184-522: The leading candidate for the 2012 presidential election in every national poll in South Korea between 2008, when the Lee administration began, and September 2011, with an approval rating of 25% to 45%, more than twice that of the second candidate. Park's approval rating was highest during the 2008 general election , and lowest in early 2010 as a result of her political stance against the Lee administration in Sejong City issue. Park also benefited from
5280-428: The lowest ever for a sitting South Korean president. Her approval rating ranged from 1 to 3% for Korean citizens under 60 years of age, while it remained higher at 13% for the over 60 years age group. This also prompted President Park to fire members of her cabinet and the prime minister of South Korea in order to redirect the public's criticism. In particular, the sacking of the prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn resulted in
5376-529: The mass secession, the rebels announced that they would rejoin the GNP after the general election, but the party prohibited it. In the following 2008 general election , the rebels won 26 seats: fourteen from the Pro-Park Coalition and twelve as independents . Together, they played a pivotal role in the GNP's narrow majority. Park continually insisted that the GNP should allow the return of her supporters. As of 2011, most of these rebels had returned to
5472-448: The needs to "overcome unfortunate past history and promote national unity" as reasons for the pardon. On 31 December, she was released from prison, returning home three months later on 24 March 2022. New President Yoon Suk-yeol invited Park to his inauguration ceremony on 10 May 2022. Park had been often criticized for being the "daughter of a dictator" ( Park Chung Hee ) and by supporters of Lee Myung-bak for not actively supporting
5568-549: The new building are traditions, citizens, future. I analysed low-rise horizontal elements, curvaceousness, and shades of leaves in our traditional architectural characteristics, and I applied these to the design so I can recall comfortable feelings of old things." In 2012, the new City Hall was opened to the public on 27 August and the city government moved in on 1 September. The project, which took four years and five months to complete, also includes multipurpose halls and cultural facilities for citizens. The old building, registered as
5664-605: The non-aggression agreements between the two countries on 8 March and withdrew North Korean workers from the Kaesong Industrial Region on 8 April. Park maintained her stance that South Korea will not succumb to the North's provocations and threats, and will endeavor to elicit policy coordination towards North Korea with major powers such as the United States, China and the UN. Her response to North Korean issues gained
5760-417: The organizers has been criticized for almost unrealistic exaggeration of the number of participants. estimate claim estimate estimate claim estimate On March 11, 2017, police say 3 people were killed and dozens were injured in clashes between police and Park's supporters after the Constitutional Court of Korea ruled the impeachment valid. At around 5 p.m. on March 4, 2017, MBC reporters covering
5856-401: The organizers of the protests claim that 1.2 million people gathered in central Seoul, insisting that the Constitutional Court should reject the impeachment. While the anti-Park protests once attracted more than a million but shrank after Park's impeachment, the number of pro-Park protesters reached 2.1 million and began to overwhelm their rivals, according to the organizer's claims. Claims from
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#17327911452225952-532: The people". Park avowed that South Korea would break away from its long-pursued development model that centered around the nation, and shift the focus of government administration from the state to individual citizens. The administration's keywords in managing state affairs were "people", "happiness", "trust", "co-prosperity" and "principle". Right after taking office, Park restructured the Blue House and government organization. The Office of National Security at
6048-513: The presidential election, which was 52 percent. The Korean media suggested that such a high level of support came from Park's principled North Korea policy, constructive outcomes from visits to the United States and China, and distancing from internal political disputes. By January 2015, Park's approval rating had fallen to 30 percent, partly due to the sinking of MV Sewol and disputes with North Korea. By September 2015, Park's approval had increased to 54 percent due to her diplomacy that defused
6144-672: The process, and it is reported that some of the funds were used to support her daughter Chung Yoo-ra 's dressage activities in Germany. She was also accused of rigging the admissions process at Ewha Womans University to help her daughter get accepted at the university. Ahn Jong-bum, a top presidential aide, was arrested for abusing power and helping Choi; he denied wrongdoing and claims he simply followed presidential orders. On October 25, 2016, Park publicly acknowledged her close ties with Choi. On October 28, Park dismissed key members of her top office staff and Park's opinion rating dropped to 5%,
6240-423: The protesters, who were also separated by tight perimeters created by hundreds of police buses. They also held Rival rallies on March 1 and 4 respectively. On December 3, 2016, three opposition parties agreed to introduce a joint impeachment motion against President Park Geun-hye. The motion, which was signed by 171 of 300 lawmakers, was put to a vote on Friday, December 9, 2016, and passed with 234 out of 300 votes,
6336-540: The purpose to advise the president in the process of resolving various conflicts in South Korean society and establishing a culture of co-existence and co-prosperity. Former Democratic United Party Advisor Han Kwang -ok was named as the head. After taking office, Park met with Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. President Barack Obama . Park's trip to the United States in May 2013 was her first foreign trip after taking office. Like many of her predecessors, Park maintained
6432-649: The rescue and salvage operation and ocean security roles would be transferred to the Department for National Safety, not to be confused with the Korean Ministry of Security and Public Administration , which will be newly established". On 19 November 2014, the Korea Coast Guard and National Emergency Management Agency ceased control as the Ministry of Public Safety and Security was founded at
6528-630: The reunification of the Korean Peninsula, on 28 March in Dresden , during her state visit to Germany . She stated that "Starting with jointly managing rivers and forests running through the two Koreas, we need to expand joint projects that benefit both sides. In that respect, I hope North Korea will attend the UN Convention on Biological Diversity conference to be held in South Korean city of Pyeongchang in October." In May 2014, Park warned that
6624-489: The salvaging of a sunken ferry which left more than 300 dead. At 7 pm (10:00 GMT) hundreds of yellow balloons were released and the protestors blew out the candles they were carrying as a symbolic gesture asking that Park clarify the mystery surrounding her seven-hour absence at the time of the ferry sinking. On January 21, South Koreans took to the streets Saturday to demand the arrest of the Samsung scion whose arrest warrant
6720-691: The same day. On 26 May 2015, Park urged the head of the Asian Development Bank to cooperate with South Korea and the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank after South Korea had officially applied to join the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in late March 2015. On 1 May 2016, Park became the first South Korean president to visit Iran . She was at the head of
6816-533: The scandal was biased and unfounded. On November 19, 2016, thousands of Park's supporters staged their protests in central Seoul, calling on the president not to succumb to mounting pressure on her to step aside. On December 17, 2016, the pro-Park protesters blamed the media for fueling anti-Park sentiment, focusing their coverage too much on the views of younger and liberal voters and on criticism that Park received cosmetic procedures while in office. Pro-president rallies have grown substantially. On January 14, 2017,
6912-433: The size of anti-Park rallies. In October 2016, a political scandal erupted over President Park Geun-hye 's undisclosed links to Choi Soon-sil , a woman with no security clearance and no official position, who was found to have been giving secret counsel to the president. Choi had known Park since the 1970s, as Choi's father, Choi Tae-min , was a mentor for Park Chung-hee , then-president and Park Geun-hye's father. At
7008-415: The street on February 18. Protesters urged the Constitutional Court, currently reviewing the legitimacy of the impeachment, to promptly reach a conclusion for the ouster of the president.. On February 25, Hundreds of thousands of Koreans held rival demonstrations in Seoul over the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye on the fourth anniversary of her swearing into office. Anti-Park protest organizers claimed
7104-545: The streets in a nationwide anti-president rally On 3 December 2.3 million people hit the streets in a further anti-Park rally, one of the largest in the country's history. An estimated 1.6 million people gathered around the main boulevards from the City Hall to Gwanghwamun Square and Gyeongbok Palace . Another estimated 200,000 people gathered around the city of Busan and 100,000 in Gwangju . On December 10, following
7200-480: The streets where both pro- and anti-impeachment groups held their respective rallies. Those who opposed Park held their 15th weekly candlelight rally in Gwanghwamun Square, while her supporters waved South Korean flags outside of Seoul City Hall for their 12th rally. Presidential hopefuls including provincial governor An Hee-jung and former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party Moon Jae-in attended
7296-516: The summit, both presidents issued a joint communique and held a joint press conference. Earlier, Park attended the G-20 Summit in September 2013 at St. Petersburg, where she met Putin for a separate dialogue discussing economic cooperation and seeking support on North Korean issues. It marked the first Korea–Russia summit talk since Park's inauguration. When Park met with Russian Minister for
7392-530: The support of many South Koreans and also the United States, China, and Russia, and played a significant role in the unanimous adoption by the UN Security Council of Resolution 2094 regarding North Korea on 7 March 2013. Due to Park's response and the international community's actions, on 6 June North Korea ceased provocations and threats towards the South and suggested holding discussions on reopening
7488-432: The time, the Park family was still grieving from the assassination of the first-lady Yuk Young-soo , and Choi Tae-min claimed that he could channel communication with her. Both had remained friends since, even after Park Geun-hye became president. Park's behavior during her tenure had raised suspicions, due to her lack of communication with parts of the government and the press. Choi, who had no official government position,
7584-573: The time. In 2012, Park also vowed to construct a new airport in the southeastern region, a 2008 presidential campaign promise made by GNP but cancelled in 2011, despite claims of economic infeasibility of the plan. The administrative vision of Park's new government was "a new era of hope and happiness". The five Administrative Goals of the government were "a jobs-centered creative economy", "tailored employment and welfare", "creativity-oriented education and cultural enrichment", "a safe and united society" and "strong security measures for sustainable peace on
7680-540: The top seat in some polls for the first time since 2008. On 10 July 2012, Park formally announced her presidential bid at Time Square, Yeongdeungpo District , Seoul. In this event, she emphasized the right to pursue happiness, a democratic economy, and customized welfare services for the Korean people. In a national survey by Mono Research on 30 August Park was the top presidential candidate with an approval rating of 45.5% when competing with all potential candidates, and according to another recent national survey result had
7776-473: The total presidential bid. After the 2007 presidential election , President Lee Myung-bak formed a government of mostly close supporters. Park's supporters argued that this was a kind of political reprisal and that they should secede from the GNP. Eventually, they formed parties named Pro-Park Coalition and Solidarity for Pro-Park Independents (친박 무소속 연대; Chin Park Musosok Yeondae ). After
7872-399: The world including Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, U.S. National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon, Taiwanese Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng, and former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, also participated in the event to congratulate Park. The goal of the newly launched Park Geun-hye Administration for governing state affairs was to open "a new era of hope and happiness for all
7968-534: The world's 100 most powerful women and the most powerful woman in East Asia. In 2014, she ranked 46th on the Forbes list of the world's most powerful people , the third-highest South Korean on the list, after Lee Kun-hee and Lee Jae-yong . On 9 December 2016, Park was impeached by the National Assembly on charges related to influence peddling by her top aide, Choi Soon-sil . Then–Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn assumed her powers and duties as acting president as
8064-527: Was "unavoidable, the best possible choice, and an advisable decision", as opposed to 37% that agreed. From another survey conducted in July 2012, 42% of respondents agreed with her opinion that her father's 1961 coup was "unavoidable", while 46% disagreed. Because Park inherited strong regional and generational support from her father, as well as the legacy of his economic success, Park's opponents used her father as criticism against her. Seoul City Hall Seoul City Hall ( Korean : 서울특별시 청사 )
8160-424: Was also cleared of charges of alleged extortion from conglomerates paying donations to foundations of Choi Soon-sil. In January 2021, South Korea's top court upheld the 20-year prison sentence, bringing an end to the legal process. On 24 December 2021, it was announced that Park would receive a pardon from South Korean President Moon Jae-in . In his pardon, President Moon cited Park's deteriorating health and
8256-584: Was arrested on 31 March 2017, and held in pre-trial detention at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang , Gyeonggi Province . On 17 April 2017, Park was formally charged with abuse of power, bribery , coercion and leaking government secrets. Park denied the charges during five rounds of interrogation while in prison. Prosecutors sought a 30-year prison term for Park, along with a fine of ₩ 188.5 billion ( US$ 110,579,397 ). On 6 April 2018,
8352-631: Was built in 1925, during the Japanese occupation of Korea . It is an example of Imperial Crown Style architecture, and served as city hall from Korea's liberation in 1945, until construction of the modern building in 2008. It now houses the Seoul Metropolitan Library , in front of the current, modern Seoul City Hall building. Following a competition for a new city hall, the jury awarded the commission to Yoo Kerl of iArc on February 18, 2008. Yoo said, "Major keywords for designing
8448-472: Was found guilty of illegally taking off-the-book funds from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and given a five-year prison sentence, and also found guilty of illegally interfering in the Saenuri Party primaries in the 2016 South Korean legislative election , for which she was sentenced to two more years in prison. On 24 December 2021, it was announced that she would receive a pardon on compassionate grounds from South Korean President Moon Jae-in . She
8544-513: Was hospitalized after the attack: the first word that she said to her secretary after her recovery from her wound was, "How is Daejeon ?" After this, the GNP candidate in the Daejeon mayoral race won the election despite having trailed by more than 20 percentage points in opinion polls up to the point of the attack. In addition, during Park's term as the GNP chairwoman between 2004 and 2006, the party won all 40 reelections and by-elections held, which
8640-549: Was largely credited to her influence and efforts. This feat gave Park the nickname "Queen of Elections". On 12 February 2007, Park made a much-publicized visit to Harvard University in Cambridge , Massachusetts , United States. Her visit culminated in an address to a packed audience at the John F. Kennedy School of Government , where she said she wanted to save Korea and advocated a stronger relationship between South Korea and
8736-453: Was leader of the conservative Grand National Party (GNP) from 2004 to 2006 and leader of the Liberty Korea Party from 2011 to 2012. She was also a member of the National Assembly , serving four consecutive parliamentary terms between 1998 and 2012. Park started her fifth term as a representative elected via national list in June 2012. In 2013 and 2014, Park ranked 11th on the Forbes list of
8832-460: Was regarded as First Lady until the assassination of her father by his intelligence chief, Kim Jae-gyu , on 26 October 1979. During this time, activists who were political opponents of Park's father claimed to be subject to arbitrary detention. Further, human rights were considered subordinate to economic development . In 2007, Park expressed regret at the treatment of activists during this period. Park received honorary doctoral degrees from
8928-656: Was rejected by a court last week, in the 13th candlelit protest calling for President Park Geun-hye to resign. Braving snow and cold, hundreds of thousands of protesters also demanded the Constitutional Court expedite review of Park's impeachment. As the Candlelight rallies reached 100th day, on February 4, 400,000 people gathered at Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul, calling for an extension of the Special Prosecutor’s investigation and for Park to step down immediately. On February 11, hundreds of thousands of Koreans took to
9024-553: Was released from prison on 31 December and returned home three months later on 24 March 2022. Park Geun-hye was born on 2 February 1952, in Samdeok-dong of Jung District, Daegu , as the first child of Park Chung Hee , who came to power with the May 16 military coup d'état of 1961 and was the third president of South Korea from 1963 to 1979; and his wife, First Lady Yuk Young-soo . Both of her parents were assassinated. She has
9120-462: Was revealed to have access to confidential documents and information from the president, and acted as a close confidant for the president. Choi and Park's senior staff used their influence to extort ₩77.4 billion (~$ 774 million) from Korean chaebols – family-owned large business conglomerates – setting up two media and sports-related foundations, the Mir and K-sports foundations. Choi embezzled money during
9216-414: Was seen to hinder the chances of Park's passing her proposed economic reforms, and in the aftermath of the results the conservative The Chosun Ilbo stated that Park's " lame duck period has started earlier than any other administration in the past". In July 2013, public support for Park's method of governing state affairs reached up to 63 percent, higher than the percentage of the votes she had won in
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