Former President Park Geun-hye casts her ballot at a polling station set up at Biseul Elementary School in Dalseong-gun, Daegu, on June 3, during the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections. [Yonhap]
Former President Park Geun-hye casts her ballot at a polling station set up at Biseul Elementary School in Dalseong-gun, Daegu, on June 3, during the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections. [Yonhap]

People Power Party floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik visited former President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday and invited her to attend the party's National Assembly members' retreat, scheduled for Aug. 27-28, asking that she share her thoughts on the direction the party should take.

Jeong met with Park for about 30 minutes at her private residence in Dalseong-gun, Daegu, and said afterward that she "responded warmly, saying she would consider it."

He said Park stressed party unity, telling him: "Even though our party is a minority, if we join forces and give the people the sense that this party is still the only hope, we will earn more of their support in the elections ahead."

Jeong said he visited to express gratitude for her active support of the party during the local elections. "She gave us a chance to rally conservatives, and I came to thank her for that," he said.

On why she had hit the campaign trail during the local elections, Park was quoted as saying she acted out of "a single conviction — that I couldn't bear to watch conservatism crumble like this — and the thought that if I could contribute even a little, our party might come back to life."

Jeong added that Park had taken strong painkillers to campaign after falling the day before her visit to the Chungcheong region, and that she told him her health had deteriorated significantly as a result.

Park also brought up Jeong's work during her presidency, when he led the Ministry of Justice's TF on unconstitutional parties and organizations and spearheaded the dissolution proceedings against the Unified Progressive Party in 2014. She encouraged him, saying she had "felt that he was a person of firm conviction and a clear commitment to national security."

Jeong was accompanied on the visit by Yun Yong-geun, chief of staff to the floor leader, and Rep. Yoo Young-ha.


mp1256@heraldcorp.com