President Park Geun-hye traveled Monday to the southeastern city of Andong on a trip seen as aimed at underscoring her commitment to bread-and-butter issues despite the worsening parliamentary standoff with the opposition party.

Park received a briefing from Andong Mayor Kwon Young-sae about policy directions the city is taking on key issues, such as job creation and cultural rejuvenation, which are among key goals of the Park administration. Andong in North Gyeongsang Province, some 190 km southeast of Seoul, is rich in traditional culture.

“We need a regional development strategy based on creative economy and cultural enrichment,” Park said during the briefing session. “North Gyeongsang Province can take the lead in creative economy and cultural enrichment as it has solid traditional industries and time-honored culture.”

“Creative economy” is the overarching economic growth strategy of Park’s presidency. It calls for boosting South Korea’s economy by blending information and communications technology with culture and other realms so as to create novel industries and more jobs.

The provincial trip comes amid a prolonged standoff with the opposition party.

The ruling and opposition parties have long locked horns over allegations that state agencies, including the National Intelligence Service, tampered with last year’s presidential race with online political postings in favor of Park. She has denied any link to the alleged wrongdoing. (Yonhap News)