Former President Park Geun-hye visited the birthplace of former President Park Chung-hee on the 27th. This is the first time since August 2023 that former President Park publicly visited her birthplace in Gimhae, after 1 year and 9 months. This is interpreted as an action to support Kim Moon-soo, the People Power Party candidate, a week ahead of the presidential election.
On that day around 11 a.m., former President Park appeared at her birthplace in Sangmo-dong, Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, dressed in black pants and a gray top.
He waved to hundreds of supporters holding red balloons. Supporters chanted “President Park Geun-hye” and “President Park Chung-hee.”
After paying respects at the memorial hall for former President Park Chung-hee, former President Park told reporters, “Isn’t the situation in the country difficult in many ways?” and added, “So I thought a lot about my father.”
She continued, “A few days ago, I saw candidate Kim Moon-soo visiting my father’s birthplace here in Gimhae and my mother’s birthplace in Okcheon, and I felt a strong desire to come and visit as well, so I came today. I plan to visit my mother’s birthplace in Okcheon in the afternoon.”
Former President Park did not answer any other questions from reporters and left the scene after about 20 minutes.
This public appearance by former President Park is interpreted as a response to candidate Kim's request for support.
Earlier, candidate Kim had visited Park Geun-hye's residence in Daegu's Dalseong District on the 24th, asking her for help, to which former President Park reportedly responded, “I will think more deeply about how I can help and conduct a successful election.”
Shin Dong-uk, a senior spokesperson for the People Power Party's central election campaign committee, met with reporters in the afternoon and stated, “I interpret former President Park visiting the birthplace of former President Park Chung-hee and Mrs. Yook Young-soo's birthplace as part of the process of gathering public opinion in favor of candidate Kim Moon-soo.”