Park Geun-hye, the ruling Saenuri Party’s interim leader and leading presidential hopeful, made an apology Tuesday to those who were victimized in the process of the nation’s industrialization decades ago, in a gesture of reconciliation with her opponents ahead of next month’s general elections.

The daughter of late president Park Chung-hee made the remark during her visit to the southern port city of Busan to drum up support for a 27-year-old female novice candidate who is running against a high-profile liberal politician in the traditional conservative stronghold.

The general-turned-president’s controversial term in office between 1961 and 1979 brought rapid economic development as well as crackdowns on the pro-democracy movement.

“I have always felt sorry for those who were victimized against their will in the process of industrialization. I apologize to those people,” Park said during a debate with panels from local broadcasting stations in Busan. “I hope people join forces to work together for the country if there is a need.”

The late president’s legacy is highly disputed in South Korea, which transitioned from being an aid recipient to Asia’s fourth-largest economy in the aftermath of 36 years of Japanese colonization and the 1950-53 Korean War.

To conservatives, Park’s era is recalled with a vague sense of nostalgia and some presidential hopefuls fashion themselves in his image as a strong leader. Liberals call him a “dictator” who cracked down on dissidents.

The popular female politician stressed social unity between disparate groups under the goal of developing the nation.

“It is very important to ease social conflicts and unite people together because the divide between social classes, regions and generations is widening,” the 60-year-old said. “I think the same principle should be applied to reconciliation and unity between those who worked for the nation’s industrialization and those who fought for democracy.”

Her latest remark came amid rising attacks from her liberal rivals as Park is carrying out reform measures to remake the conservatives’ image as a party for the rich ahead of the April elections.

Political analysts say the results from the upcoming polls, considered as a crucial bellwether, will affect her bid to become South Korea’s first female president in the December election. 

(Yonhap News)