hankyoreh

President Park Geun-hye ordered the use of Mir Foundation money for remodeling of the Park Chung-hee Memorial Library in Seoul, prosecutors revealed on Jan. 13.

The evidence suggests an attempt by Park to use tens of billions of won provided by companies for use in “cultural fusion” and “promoting the Korean Wave” toward a project commemorating her own father.

On the afternoon of Jan. 13, prosecutors in the trial of Choi Sun-sil and former Blue House Senior Secretary to the President for Policy Coordination Ahn Jong-beom accused Park of being “deeply involved” in the Mir Foundation, offering a “situation chart” for execution of major presidential orders as evidence. The case is currently being heard by the 22nd criminal division of Seoul Central District Court.

The chart, drafted by an aide of Ahn’s identified by the surname Kim, showed Park issuing orders to then-Senior Secretary to the President for Economic Affairs Ahn on Mar. 14, 2016, to “examine ways of altering the Park Chung-hee Memorial Hall” and “discuss plans with chairperson Jwa Seung-hee and the Mir Foundation for re-servicing of hologram media, etc.”

Jwa, a professor at the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul [New Village] at Yeungnam University, became the Park Chung-hee Memorial Foundation’s third chairperson a month before Park’s order.

President Park Geun-hye (at the time a Saenuri Party lawmaker) visits the Park Chung-hee Memorial-Library in Seoul

In response to the order, Ahn reported back to Park five months later on Aug. 2 on its “execution.”

“Considering plan for hall’s remodeling. Examples overseas are being studied and considered. Support measures to be established once plan is completed,” Ahn wrote.

Of particular note was the listing of the Office of the Senior Secretary to the President for Civil Affairs as the presiding agency for the hall’s remodeling. The office’s role involves supervising inspection agencies and bears no connection with the Mir Foundation or commemorative projects for former Presidents. The Senior Secretary at the time was Woo Byung-woo.

Park’s order also appears intended to prepare for the centennial year of her father’s birth in 2017. This year, the Memorial Hall is preparing large-scale commemorative events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Park Chung-hee’s birth (Nov. 14), including efforts to spotlight his life, assessments of his achievements, a commemorative concert, and publication of a series of books on him. The plan for using Mir Foundation money to remodel the hall and its Park Chung-hee holograms appears to have become unfeasible after the Hankyoreh’s reports last September on Choi Sun-sil’s involvement in the foundation.

Coming amid revelations of President Park’s contributions to or involvement in the Mir Foundation’s establishment, selection of its officials, and even its chairperson’s salary, the news of President Park’s attempted use of foundation money for a commemorative project unrelated to its purposes is only adding to suspicions that the foundation was intended to prepare for her life after leaving office.

By Kim Nam-il and Hyun So-eun, staff reporters

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