Chapter 27 Park Geun-hye, representative of the Fourth Grand National Party
The IMF crisis that broke out in 1997 was a great shock to me.The media keeps reporting that the country is facing a bankruptcy crisis, massive unemployment, and the people are in a difficult life. In my eyes, I can't help but feel a burst of indignation in my heart.How could a country that was so difficult to create fall down like this?Today's economic growth is not achieved overnight, it is the result of the blood and sweat of millions of people.Seeing that the tower of achievements accumulated by the Chinese people may collapse in an instant, it really makes me worry.
Back in the 1960s and 1970s, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world.It has neither money nor assistance from other countries. It is a poor country after India among the more than 120 countries in the United Nations.The national income was only US$76. At that time, the country was so poor that even the national income of the Philippines, which was US$170, was far below the level.Most of today's middle-aged and middle-aged people have experienced that period of poverty and dedicated their youth hard.
At that time, housewives even sold their hair in exchange for rice and vegetables.And those hairs are collected and exported abroad as wigs.Also, no country was willing to lend money to impoverished South Korea, so the government sent miners and nurses to West Germany, pledging their salaries as a guarantee, and borrowed 140 million marks.
Countless young people devote their youth to foreign countries in order to get rid of poverty.At Ruhua's age, she went to work in other countries. Those nurses were engaged in wiping corpses and other tasks in an environment where they could not speak the language, and worked hard to send money to their families in South Korea.After such pain, South Korea has achieved today's economic growth.
In the 1970s, we had only one goal, and that was to hope that South Korea could become a country with a national income of 1,000 U.S. dollars in a short period of time.The president and the people are working together to this end.Regardless of you or me, the goal is to become a country where all people can eat three meals a day, a safe and worry-free country.
I understand this period of South Korea's growth and rise better than anyone else, so when I see South Korea facing the IMF crisis, it hurts more than anyone else.I worry that many of the achievements built in the past may disappear overnight as a bubble.Thinking of this makes me sweat unconsciously.
One day when I was passing by Ulji-ro, I couldn't hide the sadness in my heart when I saw the scene in front of me.There was a long line of street sleepers waiting to receive their free rationed dinner. I met the eyes of one of them, and he turned his head away in a hurry.If it wasn't for the outbreak of the IMF crisis, he should be happily eating dinner with his family.Maybe he was once the head of a family with a steady salary, and now his shoulders are so shrunken.I asked myself, "Who made this?"
For several days after that day, I always tossed and turned at night.Even if the work is half done, I will sigh involuntarily and have no appetite when eating.No matter whether you read newspapers, TV, or look around, you can't find any government officials who are willing to take responsibility.As for why this country has become like this, I only hear people blame financial figures, and some people yell at their father who died 18 years ago.To blame the current foreign exchange crisis on the industrialization of the 60s and 70s is simply too unreasonable.
After the IMF crisis broke out, I began to worry about what I could do for the country. Even if it was a small thing, I had to do something for the country.But I really don't have the courage to enter politics again, because I have already deeply experienced the "unlimited responsibility" given to the responsible person and the life of a public figure without freedom during the days at Cheong Wa Dae. After the 1990s, several times someone proposed that I run for Congress, but I solemnly refused.
Before the IMF crisis broke out, I managed to get out of the haze of leaving Cheong Wa Dae and lead a peaceful life.But after the IMF crisis, seeing the incidents that happened one after another, I kept asking myself: "The country is already so crumbling, can I still live a peaceful and comfortable life alone? How can I face myself calmly in the future? What about after death? How about meeting your parents with a clear conscience?" Looking back on today ten years later, you may blame yourself for "just for your own peace and disregarding your due responsibilities".It's time to make a decision.
Finally, I am determined to follow the path of "Politician Park Geun-hye".I am determined to dedicate the rest of my life to the future of the Republic of Korea. No matter how dangerous and steep the mountains to be crossed in the future, I don't want to hesitate any longer.So, I stepped back into politics.
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