Liberal opposition parties stepped up attacks against Park Geun-hye, chief of the ruling Saenuri Party, over an education foundation previously run by her family after a local court said last week that it was established with assets that her father, military strongman Park Chung-hee, took by force.

The main opposition Democratic United Party renewed demand Sunday that Park should end her “clandestine” control of the Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation and return it to the rightful owner.

“It is very regrettable to see how Park refuses to listen to what the public says,” the DUP said in a statement Sunday.

“She should end her veiled control over appointment of the foundation’s board members and return it to the people,” it said.

Moon Jae-in, Park’s potential rival for the next presidency contesting a parliamentary seat in Busan in the upcoming election, didn’t miss out on the chance to attack her, saying that she is keeping the “illegally acquired assets” under a third party’s name.

“There is an easy way to end this controversy. Just return the Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation to the citizens of Busan and appoint impartial figures to its board of directors,” he tweeted.

The Jeongsu Foundation, named after Park’s parents, has been the source of criticism for the Saenuri leader, considered as a prohibitive presidential candidate of the ruling bloc.

On Friday, a court acknowledged the forcible nature of the donation by Busan-based businessman Kim Young-wu under the military rule of Park Chung-hee some five decades ago but denied Kim’s son a right to get the assets back, citing the expiration of statutory limitations.

Park ran the foundation for 10 years until she stepped down in 2005 under public criticism. Choi Phil-lip, a staunch confidant to her late father, has been running it since then.

Park insists that she has nothing to do with the foundation, saying the controversy over the foundation is a legal issue, not a political one.

“It is not right to tell me to meddle in (the foundation’s management) over with I have no legal right or to have someone resign,” Park said.

“This should not become an election issue.”

In 2007, an ad-hoc state investigative committee under the late liberal president Roh Moo-hyun had already acknowledged the forcible nature of the share transfer and advised the foundation to return what was illegally taken from Kim.

Following the decision, which was not legally binding, Kim’s son filed the suit in 2010, asking the foundation to return the shares or have the state pay out 1 billion won ($889,500) in compensation.

The junior Kim said he would appeal, after the court rejected his claim.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)