Park Geun-hye, the ruling Saenuri Party’s interim chief, on Monday sharpened criticisms of the main liberal party, seizing on their “flip-flop” on a controversial trade deal with the United States.

“I don’t think the current opposition party is eligible to pass any judgment (on the current administration),” the prominent politician said during a nationally-televised forum.

“On the contrary, they should be judged for continuously changing words on a policy that they had pushed for in the previous administration (when they were in power),” she said.

The barbed remarks were her counterattack against the main opposition Democratic United Party, which is trying to frame the April 11 parliamentary election as a chance to pass judgment on President Lee Myung-bak and vows to revise large parts of, or even repeal, the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement if they win.

DUP leaders, emboldened by widespread voter disapproval of the ruling camp, had said that they would push for a total repeal of the Korea-U.S. FTA. They, however, toned it down recently and said that they want re-negotiations to remove “toxic” clauses from the pact and that they would push to cancel the whole deal if the demands are not met by the U.S. side.

The FTA was ratified by the National Assembly in November in a snap vote which saw only members of Saenuri and its conservative allies participating. It is expected to go into effect soon.

DUP and other liberal opposition groups boycotted the ballot, crying foul over Saenuri’s exploitation of its majority status to pass the controversial deal.

The Korea-U.S. FTA was signed in 2007 under the previous liberal rule of President Roh and his Uri Party, the DUP’s precursor.

The current President Lee administration led a renegotiation of the deal in 2010 at the U.S.’ request.

The DUP claims that the balance of interest swung in favor of the U.S. during the renegotiation.

“I thought the Korea-U.S. FTA would be helpful (to us) from when former President Roh Moo-hyun had first floated the idea and I still believe so,” Park said.

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