This is the first article of a two-part series about foreign media's take on President Park Geun-hye. ― ED.

By Kim Tae-gyu





President Park Geun-hye

Foreign media are taking a crack at the political row over alleged interference in the Dec. 19 presidential election by the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

Observers said Tuesday that these reports could damage the reputation President Park Geun-hye has built as the first female head of state, being clean, sophisticated and staying away from the unsavory part of her father's legacy.

Park's father was Park Chung-hee, who ruled the nation with an iron fist after rising to power through a coup. During his rule, Park, revered by some for leading the nation's industrial development, was also accused of election fraud.

Few people would think election fraud on the past's scale could even be possible.

The effects of the spy agency's alleged electioneering would have been too marginal to affect the outcome. And President Park declared that she had no involvement in any interference and denied receiving any benefit.

Lee Myung-bak, her predecessor from the same party, was president during the election. Park beat the opposition Democratic Party candidate, Moon Jae-in, by 3.6 percentage points or 1.08 million votes.

Moon has accused Park of benefiting from the help of the NIS and the military's Cyber Command, calling the election "unfair."

Against this backdrop, AFP and the New York Times recently reported rehashes of what domestic media have been reporting for months.

"A simmering row over alleged election meddling by South Korea's domestic spy service is threatening to boil over into a full-blown scandal that could serious scald President Park Geun-hye's administration," AFP reported last week.

"Allegations that the government has sought to suppress investigations into the scandal have been reinforced by a rift in the public prosecutor's office."

"Since Park's inauguration, South Korean politics has been paralyzed by scandals, including one surrounding the spy agency," The New York Times reported last week.

"Rival political rallies have rocked downtown Seoul in recent weeks. Student activists demanded reform within the intelligence agency."

Their tone is not exaggerated but they represent the case that the facts hurt more.

AFP, the French news service with a global network, reported the case ahead of Park's early-November tour of Britain, France and Belgium. The President studied in France briefly and is close to European leaders.

The United States is a key ally and Park was highly lauded by U.S. President Barack Obama and its media.

Park has been a frequent overseas traveler since she took office in February, taking credit for bringing finesse to the image of Korea.

One factor that influences not just the foreign media but the domestic media as well is the lack of her willingness to communicate.

Political analysts agonize over why Park remains mum on such a significant matter at the cost of her opinion poll ratings, which once approached 70 percent but have dipped to around 50 percent of late.

With regard to Park's mindset, in a meeting with opposition leaders in September, she asked: "Are you seriously suggesting that I was elected thanks to online postings?" according to the DP.

If this was right, watchers say that Park is very emotional about the scandal. Her senior press secretary Lee Jung-hyun flatly rebuffed the remarks as a cooked-up story.

"It may have something to do with the memory of her father who was embroiled in controversy over election fraud during his rule of almost 20 years," said local political analyst Lee kang-yun. "Since the legitimacy of her father's governance has been questioned many times, she might be sensitive to it. But she is required to overcome the trauma to achieve better politics."

"Even if President Park orders the prosecution to get to the bottom of the NIS scandal, she will not lose anything because it is more about the faulty system, not about the legitimacy of her presidency," said Prof. Son Tae-gyu at Dankook University.

"But she didn't do so, possibly because of the traumatic memories related to her late father. It might backfire in municipal elections slated for next year or in forging ahead with her policy initiatives."