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| Park Geun-hye is the daughter of a former president, Park Chung-hee |
Park
Geun-hye of the Saenuri - or New Frontier Party - is to become the first female
president of South Korea - a country that has the highest level of gender
inequality in the developed world.
Ms Park,
60, is the daughter of former President Park Chung-hee.
At the age
of just 22, she was thrust into the political limelight, becoming South Korea's
first lady when her mother was shot dead in 1974 - hit by a North Korean
assassin's bullet that was intended for her husband.
For five
years, Ms Park was charged with receiving the spouses of foreign heads of state
at the Blue House, South Korea's presidential residence.
Her father,
who seized power in a military coup in 1961, ruled until he was assassinated by
his spy chief in 1979.
Some say
the association with her father - and her experiences as first lady - helped
her overcome some deeply held prejudices among male voters.
But while
Mr Park was credited with boosting South Korea's economy, he was also accused
of ruthlessly crushing dissent and delaying democratic development.
Park
Geun-hye's family legacy has overshadowed her political career. In September,
she issued a public apology for human rights abuses committed under her father.
However,
she also described his 1961 coup as necessary, which alienated some younger
voters who were wary of Ms Park's unwillingness to fully renounce her father.
Cautious on
the peninsula?
Park
Geun-hye was first elected to South Korea's National Assembly in 1998.
She sought
the presidency in 2007, but her party instead nominated Lee Myung-bak, who went
on to win.
She holds
an engineering degree from Sogang University in Seoul and an honorary degree in
literature from the Moonward University in Taiwan.
She is not
married - something that has exposed her to comment in South Korea's
conservative society - and is seen as a private individual.
Many hope
the elevation of the first woman to the presidency will help shatter the old
patriarchal Confucian habits which permeate South Korean society, analysts say.
As part of
her presidential campaign, Ms Park pledged to prioritise "national
reconciliation", and improve "economic democracy" and social
welfare.
She has
promised to redistribute wealth, reform the country's big conglomerates and
seek greater engagement with North Korea.
But she is
perceived as more cautious on all those issues than the progressive candidate
she defeated, Moon Jae-in.
Thus some
analysts say she will continue the tough line towards Pyongyang adopted by
during President Lee's five-year term.
Related Articles:
S. Korea's pres-elect pledges 'new era' on Korean peninsula
South Korea election: Park Geun-hye defeats Moon Jae-in
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