[Politics, That Day...] The 100-Minute Private Meeting Between MB and Park Geun-hye That Changed the Course of the Presidential Election

Meeting Between President and Ruling Party Presidential Candidate... Private Talk at Blue House Without Attendants
'Addition Politics' Weakens Pro-Lee and Pro-Park Faction Conflicts, Lays Foundation for Election Victory

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min]

Editor's Note‘Politics, That Day...’ is a series planning corner that looks back on Korean politics through the ‘recollection of memories’ related to notable scenes, events, and figures.

September 2, 2012, is a special day recorded in Korean political history. It was the day when the incumbent president and the ruling party’s presidential candidate met for the first time in 10 years. What kind of conversation did the two have without any attendants? We revisit that day, which was left only with speculation.

September 2 was a Sunday. On that day, Park Geun-hye, then the Saenuri Party’s presidential candidate, visited the Blue House for a luncheon meeting. President Lee Myung-bak greeted candidate Park Geun-hye, who was waiting in the Baekak Room on the second floor of the Blue House main building. The two exchanged handshakes with bright expressions.

The first five minutes of the luncheon meeting were open to the media. They discussed topics such as typhoon damage, public safety measures, livelihood and economic issues, and the president’s overseas trips.

The focus of interest was the conversation between the two after the attendants left. Both sides explained that there was no political discussion. However, the political circles regarded the meeting as special.

It is a politically significant act for an incumbent president to meet the ruling party’s presidential candidate three months before the election. At the time, the opposition Democratic Party suspected that a request for election assistance might have been made. This issue could have escalated into a political controversy intertwined with the president’s duty of election neutrality.

To understand this meeting, it is necessary to look back at the political situation in 2012. The two had competed in the hottest presidential primary in Korean political history in 2007. The contest was so close that either could have won.

The conclusion was Lee Myung-bak’s victory. Park Geun-hye accepted the primary results gracefully. It seemed like a ‘beautiful primary’ had ended.

The problem was that the 2007 presidential competition was just a prelude. During the 18th general election in 2008, the pro-Lee Myung-bak faction and the pro-Park Geun-hye faction engaged in a fierce battle over nominations. Backed by presidential power, the pro-Lee faction’s sharp moves caused prominent pro-Park politicians to suffer the pain of losing nominations.

The internal strife over nominations caused turmoil within the ruling party. So-called ‘pro-Park candidates’ ran en masse as members of the Pro-Park Alliance or as independent candidates.

Based on pro-Park lawmakers, politician Park Geun-hye expanded her base. As President Lee Myung-bak’s term approached its end, the power structure within the ruling party changed. In the 2012 presidential election, no Saenuri Party candidate could surpass politician Park Geun-hye.

President Park Geun-hye

As expected, Park Geun-hye was selected as the presidential candidate. However, the conflict between the pro-Lee and pro-Park factions was not resolved.

With the election approaching, the ruling party’s internal strife was a major negative factor. There was a growing sense of crisis that the administration might be handed over to the opposition. That is why the Blue House meeting on September 2, 2012, was even more special.

The meeting that day led to changes in the 2012 presidential race. The scene of the two smiling brightly and shaking hands acted as a balm to ease the conflict between the pro-Lee and pro-Park factions. The shared recognition that factional fighting should not drain energy before the election gained strength.

At the time, the opposition’s unification was a top concern. Although it was expected that unification would be advantageous in the election, conflicts over unification were intense. Especially, the emotional divide among supporters deepened.

While the shadow of division expanded in the opposition, the ruling party managed the conflict and reorganized its ranks centered on candidate Park Geun-hye. If one day must be singled out as decisive in the 2012 presidential election, the Blue House meeting on September 2 cannot be overlooked.

On December 19, 2012, Park Geun-hye, the Saenuri Party candidate, was elected President of the Republic of Korea. Park Geun-hye received 15,773,128 votes (51.55%), becoming the candidate with the highest number of votes in Korean presidential election history. The 2012 election was a reminder of the importance of ‘additive politics.’

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.