Park makes history in ROK

In a closely contested presidential elec-tion held on Wednesday in the Republic of Korea, Park Geun-hye, the conservative ruling New Frontier Party candidate, beat her liberal rival Moon Jae-in to make history as the country's first female leader. How she will deliver her pre-election promises and create "a new era" for Asia's fourth-largest economy will have far-reaching significance for the 29th-richest country in the world and beyond.

As the daughter of former ROK president Park Chung-hee, Park's victory is believed to have been aided by her fellow countrymen's nostalgia for her father's 18-year rule, which helped to lift the ROK from poverty to developed-nation status. Her efforts to play down her conservative stance and make her views different from those of current President Lee Myung-bak have also paid off.

During Lee's five years in office, the ROK's export-driven economy has slowed down due to the global economic crisis. Social inequality and a high youth unemployment rate have made Lee increasingly unpopular.

Apart from fixing these domestic woes, Park will also be tested over her policy toward the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. If she keeps her campaign promises and sets out to reduce enmity between Seoul and Pyongyang, it will greatly ease the tension between the two neighbors.

Many people in the ROK believe Lee's hardline stance toward the DPRK has backfired and pushed the two neighbors further apart in recent years. During his rule, Lee made a major departure from the "sunshine policy" of engagement with Pyongyang, as advocated by Lee's two liberal predecessors Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun.

Ties between Seoul and Pyongyang sank to their lowest level for years in 2010 due to disputes over the sinking of an ROK warship and the shelling of an island. The satellite launch by the DPRK last week further strained bilateral ties.

Given that the situation on the peninsula has become increasingly fragile, a transfer of power in the ROK could present a good opportunity for the parties concerned to renew their diplomatic efforts that could pave the way for ushering in lasting peace and stability on the peninsula.

During the election campaign, Park proposed a "trust-building process" on the peninsula. She obviously understands that improving ties between Seoul and Pyongyang caters to the interests of the two and the region as a whole. It is hoped she will translate her words into action soon.

(China Daily 12/20/2012 page8)