Portrait of the most powerful woman in Korea

(Baonghean) - On October 14, the Korean press simultaneously reported that the most powerful woman in the country - President Park Geun-hye arrived in Washington, DC, starting a 4-day official visit to the US at the invitation of President Barack Obama. This trip was announced by White House press secretary Josh Earnest as "to emphasize the strength and breadth of the US-Korea relationship".

Park Geun-hye is the eldest daughter of former South Korean President Park Chung-hee and Yuk Young-soo. She was born on February 2, 1952 in Daegu, South Korea, at a time when the Korean War was raging. Her academic achievements at that time were admired by many.

During her high school years, Park was always at the top of her class. Her IQ was 127. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in electromagnetic engineering from Sogang University in 1974, Park Geun-hye went to France to study at the University of Grenoble. She received honorary doctorates from Chinese Culture University in Taiwan in 1987, Pukyong National University and KAIST in 2008, and Sogang University in 2010.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye. Source: Yonhap

The major events that occurred in the life of the girl who would later become the first female President of South Korea changed Park Geun-hye's thinking and political awareness. In 1974, her mother was assassinated at the National Theater of Korea by a member of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan under the orders of the North Korean government.

At the age of 22, Ms. Park had to replace her mother to take charge of diplomatic protocols alongside her father. In 1979, her father - former South Korean President Park Chung-hee, who had run South Korea for 18 years under a dictatorship, was assassinated by the South Korean intelligence chief.

In 1997, Park Geun-hye joined the Grand National Party (GNP), the predecessor of the Saenuri Party. In April 1998, she won a seat in Daegu and made important strides in her political career. During her 15 years as a member of the National Assembly, Park Geun-hye has always been known as a principled and trustworthy female politician.

When she officially announced her candidacy for the presidency, Park promised to promote a fair economy, increase welfare, and improve relations with North Korea. On December 19, 2012, she became the 18th President of South Korea and the country's first female President. Park Geun-hye's five-year term as President began on February 25, 2013.

One of the biggest challenges facing the South Korean president is the North Korea issue, and Park Geun-hye has made it clear from the start that she wants to strengthen peace in the region, especially with her neighbor, with whom she has many differences. Her policy is to 'political trust' and approach the issue flexibly, while at the same time, enhancing South Korea's defense posture.

President Park Geun-hye's foreign policy focuses mainly on the economic and security fields. To do this, Seoul certainly cannot do without the help of its allies, especially the United States.

During her visit to the US, President Park Geun-hye declared Seoul a reliable partner of Washington, calling the alliance between the two countries a key element in the US's Asia-Pacific pivot strategy.

On October 14, at an event in Washington attended by about 630 guests, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, Ms. Park Geun-hye affirmed that the dynamic and well-developed alliance between South Korea and the US is moving towards a brighter future.

During the summit with President Barack Obama on October 17, the two leaders are expected to discuss ways to strengthen the Korea-US alliance, exchange views on regional and international issues, including coordinating responses to possible provocations by North Korea and resuming the six-party talks on the country's nuclear issue, which have been stalled since December 2008. She is also expected to deliver a speech on Korea's foreign and security policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Phuong Thao