[Yonhap News Photo]
President Park Geun-hye bristled at a parody painting portraying her in the nude in an exhibition hosted by an opposition lawmaker at a parliamentary building, arguing she was a victim of the degradation of women.
In an interview late Wednesday with the chief editorial writer of the Korea Economic Daily, Park said anti-government groups have concocted "colossal" lies to drag her down into a shameful fall.
"After tracking down what has happened so far, I cannot help but think that there might have been a premeditated plot," she said, categorically denying her involvement in a corruption and influence-peddling scandal.
"There is a good line that people should not cross," she said, referring to a nude painting displayed in an exhibition hosted by Pyo Chang-won, a lawmaker from the main opposition Democratic Party.
The parody composition of "Olympia" by French painter Édouard Manet (1832–1883) and "Sleeping Venus" by Italian painter Giorgione (1477/8–1510) also showed Park's jailed crony, Choi Soon-sil, holding a bunch of syringes against the background of a sinking ship.
The ruling Saenuri Party has blasted Pyo for insulting and sexually harassing Park. In response, the opposition party agreed to discipline Pyo at its ethics committee and asked parliamentary workers to remove the parody.
"If I'm not a female president, there is no reason to be so disparaged," Park said.
Park was impeached in parliament partly for neglecting her duty to supervise a rescue operation in 2014 when a ferry packed with high-school students sank off the southwest coast with the loss of more than 300 lives.
Park's absence for several hours has become an object of public concern and debate, and she has been dogged by rumors that she came late because she was tied up with personal affairs.
The presidential office admitted that Park brought in a hairdresser from outside to have her hair done only for 20 minutes while reading written briefings on the disaster. Unconfirmed reports have suggested that she frequently received beauty shots of unknown nature and unauthorized injections brought in by Choi.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
