Former President Park Geun-hye, who supported candidates from the People Power Party during the local elections, is drawing attention to her future political activities following the election.
During the election campaign, Park actively called for conservative unity and participated in numerous rallies, but she did not clarify her stance on a potential political comeback.
According to Yonhap News, after casting her vote on June 3, when asked by reporters if she had plans for future conservative integration, Park hesitated briefly before responding, "I will just leave now," and departed the scene.
Political analysts believe the election results will significantly influence Park's future actions. One political insider told Yonhap, "Voters will evaluate Park's support activities leading up to the election through their votes, and her future political path will likely be determined based on the election results."
Throughout the local election period, Park dedicated herself to supporting the People Power Party. She began her campaign on May 23 by visiting Daegu's Chilseong Market alongside candidate Choo Kyung-ho, and subsequently traveled to regions including Chungbuk, Daejeon, Chungnam, Gyeongnam, Ulsan, Busan, Gangwon, and Gyeongbuk to rally support.
On the first day of early voting, May 29, she visited Namhae and Changwon in Gyeongnam, and on the final day of campaigning, May 31, she returned to her political hometown of Daegu to support Choo. During that visit, she urged citizens to "give overwhelming support."
Some in the political sphere have suggested that Park effectively acted as the campaign chair for the People Power Party. Notably, this election marked her return to public political activity after refraining from such engagements since her impeachment in 2017.
However, Park did not visit areas in the Seoul metropolitan region or Honam. Instead, she focused her efforts on regions with strong conservative support or those deemed critical for the election outcome.
Her campaign events attracted many supporters, and her close ally, People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Young-ha, expressed optimism about her involvement. In contrast, Democratic Party election committee chair Jeong Cheong-rae criticized the former president's campaign efforts, stating, "They are trying to take South Korea back to the past."
Park Geun-hye was impeached in 2017 due to a corruption scandal and served time in prison before being granted a special pardon in December 2021. Since moving to her residence in Daegu's Dalseong District in 2022, she has engaged in limited public activities, primarily visiting traditional markets during holidays, while avoiding overt political engagements.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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