Park Geun-hye facts for kids

In this Korean name, the family name is Park.

Quick facts for kids Her Excellency Park Geun-hye
박근혜
Official portrait, 2013

11th President of South Korea
In office 25 February 2013 – 10 March 2017
Prime Minister	Chung Hong-won Lee Wan-koo Choi Kyoung-hwan (acting) Hwang Kyo-ahn
Preceded by	Lee Myung-bak
Succeeded by	Moon Jae-in
Leader of the Grand National Party
In office 23 March 2004 – 15 June 2006
Preceded by	Choi Byung-ryeol
Succeeded by	Kim Yeong-seon (acting)
Leader of the Saenuri Party
In office 19 December 2011 – 15 May 2012
Preceded by	Hwang Woo-yea (acting)
Succeeded by	Hwang Woo-yea
Member of the National Assembly
In office 3 April 1998 – 29 May 2012
Preceded by	Kim Suk-won
Succeeded by	Lee Jong-jin
Constituency	Dalseong (Daegu)
In office 30 May 2012 – 10 December 2012
Constituency	Proportional representation

Personal details
Born	(1952-02-02) 2 February 1952 (age 73) Taegu, South Korea
Political party	Independent (2017–present)
Other political affiliations	Saenuri (until 2017)
Parents	Park Chung Hee (father) Yuk Young-soo (mother)
Residences	Seoul, South Korea
Alma mater	Sogang University (BSc)
Signature

Korean name
Hangul	박근혜
Hanja	朴槿惠
Revised Romanization	Bak Geunhye
McCune–Reischauer	Pak Kŭnhye

Park Geun-hye (born 2 February 1952) is a South Korean politician. She served as the 11th President of South Korea from 2013 to 2017. Park was the first woman to be elected president of South Korea. She was also the first woman to be chosen by popular vote as a head of state in East Asia. She is also the first South Korean president born after the country was founded. Her father, Park Chung Hee, was president from 1963 to 1979. He served five terms after taking power in 1961.

Before becoming president, Park led the Grand National Party (GNP) from 2004 to 2006. She also led the Liberty Korea Party from 2011 to 2012. She was a member of the National Assembly for four terms. This was between 1998 and 2012. In 2013 and 2014, Forbes magazine listed her as one of the world's most powerful women. She was the most powerful woman in East Asia.

On 9 December 2016, Park was removed from office by the National Assembly. This happened due to serious issues involving a close aide, Choi Soon-sil. The Prime Minister, Hwang Kyo-ahn, took over as acting president. On 10 March 2017, the Constitutional Court confirmed her removal. This made her the first Korean president to be removed in this way. Later, she faced legal challenges related to her time in office. On 24 December 2021, she received a pardon from President Moon Jae-in. She was released from prison on 31 December.

Early Life and Education

Park Geun-hye was born on 2 February 1952, in Daegu, South Korea. She was the first child of Park Chung-hee, the third president of South Korea. Her mother was Yuk Young-soo. Both of her parents were assassinated. She has a younger brother, Park Ji-man, and a younger sister, Park Geun-ryeong. Park is not married and has no children. She was raised with Buddhist and Roman Catholic influences.

In 1953, Park's family moved to Seoul. She finished Jangchung Elementary School and Sungshim Girls' Middle and High School in 1970. She then earned a bachelor's degree in electronic engineering from Sogang University in 1974. She briefly studied in France. However, she returned to Korea after her mother was killed.

Park's mother was killed on 15 August 1974. An attacker was trying to assassinate her husband, President Park Chung-hee. Park Geun-hye was seen as the First Lady until her father's assassination on 26 October 1979. During this time, there were concerns about human rights for political activists. In 2007, Park expressed regret about how activists were treated back then.

Park has received several honorary doctoral degrees. These include degrees from the Chinese Culture University in Taiwan (1987) and Sogang University (2010).

Political Journey

Starting Her Career

Park was first elected as a member of the Grand National Party (GNP) in 1998. She represented Dalseong County in Daegu. She was re-elected three more times in the same area. In 2012, she decided to run for a different type of seat. She ran for a proportional representative position for the Saenuri Party. This allowed her to lead the party's election campaign. She was elected in April 2012.

The GNP faced a tough time in the 2004 general election. This was due to issues with the previous presidential candidate. Park was chosen as the party's chairwoman. She led the election efforts. The GNP lost its majority but won 121 seats. This was seen as a big success given the difficult situation. As chairwoman, Park helped her party win many local elections. They even gained a majority in 2006.

During a campaign event on 20 May 2006, Park was attacked and injured. She needed many stitches on her face. A famous story from this time is that her first words after surgery were, "How is Daejeon?" After this, the GNP candidate in Daejeon won the mayoral election. This happened even though he was far behind in polls before the attack. During her time as GNP chairwoman (2004-2006), the party won all 40 re-elections and by-elections. Many people believed this was due to her influence. This earned Park the nickname "Queen of Elections."

In 2007, Park tried to become the GNP's presidential candidate. She lost by a small amount to Lee Myung-bak. After the 2007 presidential election, President Lee Myung-bak formed a government mostly with his close supporters. Some of Park's supporters felt this was unfair. They formed new parties but later rejoined the GNP. By 2011, most of her supporters had returned to the GNP.

In 2011, the GNP changed its name to the Saenuri Party. Park was appointed as the chairwoman of the emergency committee. This made her the party's leader. In the 2012 general election, the Saenuri Party won by surprise. They gained 152 seats and kept their majority. Many experts believed Park's leadership was the main reason for this victory. The 2012 election was often called the "return of the Queen of Election."

Running for President in 2012

Park was a leading candidate for the 2012 South Korean presidential election. She was at the top of national polls from 2008 to September 2011. Her approval rating was often twice as high as the second candidate.

On 10 July 2012, Park officially announced she would run for president. She talked about making people happy, having a fair economy, and providing welfare services. She was elected president of South Korea on 19 December 2012. She won with 51.6% of the votes.

Later, it was revealed that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) had tried to influence the 2012 election. They worked to help Park win.

Key Political Ideas

In a 2012 survey, Park was seen as the most conservative candidate. She believed in lower taxes and less government rules. However, after 2009, she started to focus more on welfare. She wanted to provide special welfare services for Koreans.

Park was known for keeping her promises. For example, in 2010, she stopped the Lee administration from canceling a plan to build Sejong City. She argued that this was a promise made to the people. This disagreement lowered her approval rating at the time.

Park's vision for her government was "a new era of hope and happiness." Her goals included:

Creating jobs and a creative economy.
Providing tailored employment and welfare.
Focusing on creative education and culture.
Building a safe and united society.
Ensuring strong security for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Presidency (2013–2017)

Becoming President

Park became the 11th president of South Korea on 25 February 2013. She took over all presidential duties from Lee Myung-bak. In her speech, she talked about bringing a new era of hope. This would include economic success, happy people, and rich culture. She hoped North Korea would give up nuclear weapons and choose peace. She also wanted to build a foundation for a unified Korea. Park's inauguration ceremony was the largest in South Korean history, with 70,000 people attending.

First Year in Office

Government Changes

After taking office, Park changed the government structure. She created new offices and ministries. These included the Office of National Security and the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning. These changes were made to help achieve her goals for the country.

Working with Other Countries

United States

Park Geun-hye meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in May 2013

Park kept a close relationship with the United States. The U.S. has many soldiers stationed in South Korea. Her first foreign trip as president was to the United States in May 2013. She met with President Barack Obama. She spoke to the U.S. Congress, asking for a strong front against North Korea. Park believed the alliance between South Korea and the U.S. was very successful. She wanted to make it even stronger.

North Korea

North Korea had caused problems before Park became president. They fired a missile and did a nuclear test. Park said South Korea would not give in to North Korea's threats. She worked with countries like the U.S., China, and the UN to deal with North Korea. Her actions led to the UN Security Council passing a resolution against North Korea. Later, North Korea stopped its threats and suggested talks.

Park said that peace and unification on the Korean peninsula was a wish for all Koreans. She wanted to improve life for people in both Koreas. Her plan for peace was called the Korean Peninsula Trust-building Process. This plan aimed to build trust, start small projects, and prepare for unification.

China

Park Geun-hye and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Beijing, 27 June 2013

From 27 to 30 June 2013, Park visited China. She met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During their meetings, Park explained South Korea's views on North Korea. She gained China's support.

Russia

On 13 November 2013, Park met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This was the first visit by a leader from the four major powers (U.S., China, Japan, Russia) to South Korea during her presidency. They talked about improving economic ties and strengthening political relations. Park also attended the G-20 Summit in September 2013, where she met Putin again.

Economic Plans

Park announced her plan to build a "Creative Economy" on 5 June 2013. This was her idea for boosting the economy and creating jobs. She wanted to help ordinary people with economic policies. On 8 April 2014, Park signed a trade agreement with Australia.

Social Goals

Park aimed to get rid of "Four Major Social Evils." These included things like school violence and food safety issues. She also started the National Unity Committee. This committee was meant to help solve conflicts in South Korean society.

National Events

On 18 May 2013, Park attended the 33rd anniversary of the Gwangju massacre. She expressed sadness for the victims' families.

Second Year in Office

Park Geun-hye and U.S. President Barack Obama, 25 April 2014

Foreign Policy

North Korea

On 28 March 2014, Park suggested three steps for North Korea to move towards unification. She proposed joint projects, like managing rivers and forests together. She also hoped North Korea would attend a UN conference in South Korea. In May 2014, Park warned that a new nuclear test by North Korea could lead to other countries also getting nuclear weapons.