Former Saenuri Party chairwoman Park Geun-hye hit back on Tuesday at fellow presidential hopeful Rep. Lee Jae-oh over his earlier comments on a woman president being premature for Korea.

“How could there be anyone who still thinks that way in the 21st century,” Park told reporters as she was attending the party’s general meeting at the National Assembly.

Lee had said during a meeting with the foreign press on Monday, “There will be difficulties if a woman assumes leadership just for the sake of being a woman without having experienced the division of the country or the national defense (military).”

Apparently referring to Saenuri’s frontrunner, Lee added, “Maybe after the country unifies and becomes peaceful, but not yet.”

Lee’s comments riled the pro-Park faction who strongly lambasted the five-term lawmaker for discriminatory comments.

“It is outdated to evaluate leadership based on gender. Such a political comment is a result of him being obsessed with trying to shake Park Geun-hye,” Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun was quoted as saying.

Park and her challengers, including Lee, have recently been locking horns over the primary rules, which the underdogs demand must be changed to introduce fully open primaries.

Although Park is yet to declare her presidential bid, Park remains in a comfortable lead against her rivals in various public polls.

Real Meter’s latest poll showed Park in front with 42.8 percent, followed by Seoul National University professor Ahn Cheol-soo with 21.1 percent and former presidential chief-of-staff Moon Jae-in with 11.6 percent.

The Saenuri’s Kim Moon-soo, Chung Mong-joon and Lee Jae-oh had 2.8 percent, 2.5 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)