Park Geun-hye

Park Geun-hye was the 11th President of South Korea, serving from 2013 until her unprecedented removal from office in 2017. The daughter of former military ruler Park Chung-hee, she was the first woman elected head of state in East Asia and a dominant figure in the conservative Liberty Korea Party. Her presidency ended in a massive corruption scandal that led to her impeachment, criminal conviction, and imprisonment, marking a profound political crisis in modern South Korea.

Early life and education

Born in Daegu, she was the first child of Park Chung-hee and Yuk Young-soo. Her early life was spent in the Blue House after her father seized power in the May 16 coup. She graduated from Sogang University with a degree in electronic engineering. Her family was struck by tragedy when her mother was assassinated in 1974 during a failed attempt on her father's life by Mun Se-gwang, a North Korean sympathizer, after which she assumed the role of First Lady. Her father was later assassinated in 1979 by Kim Jae-gyu, the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency.

Political career

After a period of seclusion following her father's death, she entered politics in 1998, winning a legislative seat representing Dalseong District. She quickly became a leading figure in the conservative Grand National Party, earning the nickname "Queen of Elections" for her campaigning prowess. She served as party chairwoman and survived a vicious assault in 2006 when a man slashed her face with a box cutter during a campaign event. Although she lost the party's presidential nomination in 2007 to Lee Myung-bak, she remained a powerful force within the party, later renamed the Saenuri Party.

Presidency (2013–2017)

Elected in December 2012, her administration emphasized economic democratization, creative economy policies, and a trust-building process with North Korea. Key diplomatic efforts included a 2015 summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and a 2016 agreement with Japan on the comfort women issue. Domestically, her government faced criticism over its handling of the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014. Her leadership style was increasingly seen as secretive and reliant on a small circle of confidants, most notably Choi Soon-sil.

Impeachment and removal

In late 2016, massive public protests erupted over the Choi Soon-sil gate scandal, revealing that Choi, a private citizen with no official position, had exerted improper influence on state affairs and extorted funds from major conglomerates like Samsung and Lotte Group. The National Assembly voted to impeach her in December 2016. The Constitutional Court of Korea upheld the impeachment in a unanimous ruling on 10 March 2017, removing her from office and triggering a new presidential election won by Moon Jae-in.

Criminal conviction and imprisonment

Following her removal, she was arrested and faced multiple criminal trials. In 2018, she was convicted by the Seoul Central District Court on charges including bribery, abuse of power, and coercion, receiving a 25-year prison sentence and a massive fine. Key convictions involved funneling funds to Choi-controlled entities and pressuring chaebols to donate to non-profit foundations. Additional sentences from separate trials brought her combined prison term to 32 years. She was held at the Seoul Detention Center.

Later life and pardon

Maintaining her innocence, she did not attend most of her trial proceedings. In December 2021, after serving nearly five years, she was granted a special pardon by President Moon Jae-in, cited as a measure for national unity. The pardon released her from prison and restored her civil rights, though the convictions themselves were not expunged. Following her release, she returned to her private residence in Dalseong District and has largely remained out of the public eye.