Pres. Park should stop embarrassing 'true-Park marketing'

Pres. Park should stop embarrassing 'true-Park marketing'. February. 01, 2016 07:29. by 박제균논설위원 phark@donga.com.

Saenuri Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan, leader of the pro-Park Geun-hye faction, is implementing a blatant "true-Park marketing" as soon as he returns to the Saenuri Party after finishing his term as the deputy prime minister for economic affairs. "President Park's hands are tied so hard that they are about to break. Shouldn't lawmakers from Daegu and Gyeongbuk region help her at least?" said Choi, appealing to Saenuri lawmakers in Daegu at the opening ceremony of Ha Chun-soo's campaign office. He criticized anti-Park representatives by saying, "What did you, Daegu and Gyeongbuk lawmakers, do for four years after you were elected in the last general election? When the opposition party did not accept its defeat and kept attacking us with the case of NIS comments, the Chungcheong and Gangwon lawmakers fought together. Where were you, Daegu lawmakers?"

Choi plans to visit and encourage all true-Park candidates in the region while they hold an opening ceremony of their campaign offices. With the Saenuri election coming, Choi is pleading to support true-Park candidates by using 'the Daegu-Gyeongbuk sentiment'. It is inappropriate for Choi whose area is Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk to criticize current lawmakers by using President Park in Daegu, which is her political hometown. It was Park and Choi who nominated the current representatives in the last general election. They should reflect upon themselves before reshuffling just because they do not like the representatives.

Choi's embarrassing "true-Park marketing" seems to reflect his anxiety. After the general elections, the true-Park members need to build a political support for the president's governance. However, they are incapacitated as they are not getting much support in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, according to public surveys. Even Saenuri Party Chairman Kim Moo-sung called the true-Park marketing "counterproductive."

The true-Park marketing is not only ineffective but also gives voters the impression that President Park is involved in the election, probably resulting in less votes from all regions including Seoul. Nevertheless, on top of Choi's marketing, an official at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae gave an order to "find out what lawmakers from Daegu, especially the newly elected ones, have done to contribute to the president and her administration." With true-Park candidates demoted, what they need to do is just follow the bottom-up candidate selection system. The poor marketing that just aims to "plant Park Geun-hye flags" will eventually be stopped by the very same person who they advocate.