Controversial Remarks: Gu Mi’s Mayoral Candidate Claims Park Chung-hee’s Death Benefited South Korea

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Jang Se-yong, the Democratic Party’s preliminary candidate for mayor of Gumi, has sparked controversy by saying South Korea developed because President Park Chung-hee died earlier than Kim Il-sung.

The remarks spread rapidly across local political social networks and provoked a strong backlash from conservative supporters. Many residents also criticized the comments as out of step with local sentiment, noting that Gumi is Park Chung-hee’s hometown.

At the end of last month, Jang attended the opening ceremony for Lee Ji-yeon, a fellow Democratic Party primary candidate for the North Gyeongsang provincial assembly. In his congratulatory speech he said, “Over the past 80 years the peninsula was divided and the North and South competed to develop. South Korea won. That was possible because Park died in 1979, and because Kim Il-sung lived a long time, North Korea collapsed.”

He added, “Despite many twists and turns, we formed a nation. We have become the victorious country, and North Korea remains a deeply unfortunate state.”

Conservative circles criticized the remarks. Local political figures said Gumi still holds strong symbolic and historical ties to Park Chung-hee and characterized Jang’s comments as more than a distorted view of history—calling them outrageous and difficult to accept as normal discourse.

Gumi resident Kim (45) said people may assess President Park’s legacy differently, but framing his death as a good thing is completely at odds with local sentiment. “It’s especially disappointing coming from someone who once served as Gumi’s mayor,” Kim added.

The remarks also spread widely on Facebook, where criticism continued to mount.

One Facebook post that analyzed Jang’s comments argued, “A person running to be mayor of Gumi should not describe Park Chung-hee—who helped build Gumi and whom many residents respect—by saying ‘because Park died.’ That is not the conduct expected of a public office candidate.”

Jang defended the remarks, saying, “I used that expression as a metaphor: although things seemed unstable after President Park’s death, our country endured and grew, and the Democratic Party did as well.” He added that he did not intend to disparage President Park.