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| Steely Leader of South Korea Is Battle-Ready | Steely Leader of South Korea Is Battle-Ready |
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| SEOUL, South Korea — Her mother was shot by an assassin. Her father, a staunchly anti-Communist dictator, was similarly killed. And she survived a vicious razor attack to the face. | SEOUL, South Korea — Her mother was shot by an assassin. Her father, a staunchly anti-Communist dictator, was similarly killed. And she survived a vicious razor attack to the face. |
| Nobody doubts the toughness of South Korea’s new president, Park Geun-hye, whose upbringing has made her as steely a leader as they come. Now at the center of an escalating crisis with North Korea, Ms. Park, 61, is her country’s first-ever female leader, a fact that her rivals in the North have raised to taunt her. | Nobody doubts the toughness of South Korea’s new president, Park Geun-hye, whose upbringing has made her as steely a leader as they come. Now at the center of an escalating crisis with North Korea, Ms. Park, 61, is her country’s first-ever female leader, a fact that her rivals in the North have raised to taunt her. |
| Stories of her mental toughness are legend — on learning that her father had died, her first concern was whether North Korea was preparing to invade. Her first question after awakening from an operation after the razor attack in 2006, which left a scar across her jaw, was how her party’s campaign was going. | Stories of her mental toughness are legend — on learning that her father had died, her first concern was whether North Korea was preparing to invade. Her first question after awakening from an operation after the razor attack in 2006, which left a scar across her jaw, was how her party’s campaign was going. |
| Ms. Park is so tough-minded that even in South Korea, still one of Asia’s most patriarchal societies, her gender has mainly been a nonissue after some initial jitters. | Ms. Park is so tough-minded that even in South Korea, still one of Asia’s most patriarchal societies, her gender has mainly been a nonissue after some initial jitters. |
| “In the past, during the election campaigning, there was some doubt on whether a female president would do well at a time of crisis,” said Choi Jin, head of the Institute for Presidential Leadership in Seoul. | “In the past, during the election campaigning, there was some doubt on whether a female president would do well at a time of crisis,” said Choi Jin, head of the Institute for Presidential Leadership in Seoul. |
| “But through this current standoff with North Korea, she dispelled whatever doubt there had been about a female president by showing that she was a strong-minded leader.” | “But through this current standoff with North Korea, she dispelled whatever doubt there had been about a female president by showing that she was a strong-minded leader.” |
| However, now that South Korea’s prized economy appears to be rattled by months of crisis, critics and supporters alike wonder if Ms. Park may have gone too far in presenting herself as an ultratough leader and what some now call the “neuter president.” Just as some critics accused Hillary Rodham Clinton of becoming more hawkish to win over skeptics, Ms. Park took office seemingly ready to do battle. | However, now that South Korea’s prized economy appears to be rattled by months of crisis, critics and supporters alike wonder if Ms. Park may have gone too far in presenting herself as an ultratough leader and what some now call the “neuter president.” Just as some critics accused Hillary Rodham Clinton of becoming more hawkish to win over skeptics, Ms. Park took office seemingly ready to do battle. |
| She filled the top security posts in her cabinet and presidential staff with former generals and decided to offer no real concessions until the North backs down, a change from some past administrations. | She filled the top security posts in her cabinet and presidential staff with former generals and decided to offer no real concessions until the North backs down, a change from some past administrations. |
| Even officials in the Obama administration, which has also taken a hard line against the North, have privately expressed fears that she might go too far if North Korea made a limited but deadly assault. To try to prevent an overreaction, the administration recently sent two stealth bombers to fly a practice run over South Korea to prove to the country’s leaders that they would not be left to face the North alone. | Even officials in the Obama administration, which has also taken a hard line against the North, have privately expressed fears that she might go too far if North Korea made a limited but deadly assault. To try to prevent an overreaction, the administration recently sent two stealth bombers to fly a practice run over South Korea to prove to the country’s leaders that they would not be left to face the North alone. |
| Although Ms. Park does not highlight her history-making role as the South’s first female president, her gender has been raised by leaders in Pyongyang, the North’s capital, where society clings to traditional Confucian notions of women’s roles even as South Korea has begun to shed them. Last month, the North said her “venomous swish of skirt” was to blame for the tensions besetting the peninsula, a reference to an old Korean expression for women who forget their place. | Although Ms. Park does not highlight her history-making role as the South’s first female president, her gender has been raised by leaders in Pyongyang, the North’s capital, where society clings to traditional Confucian notions of women’s roles even as South Korea has begun to shed them. Last month, the North said her “venomous swish of skirt” was to blame for the tensions besetting the peninsula, a reference to an old Korean expression for women who forget their place. |
| The verbal tongue-lashing, which Ms. Park did not respond to directly, led some analysts to speculate that the North may have been underestimating her resolve, or at least testing her. If that was the point, it did not work. | The verbal tongue-lashing, which Ms. Park did not respond to directly, led some analysts to speculate that the North may have been underestimating her resolve, or at least testing her. If that was the point, it did not work. |
| Ms. Park and her military have parried the North’s over-the-top threats of nuclear holocaust with vitriol of their own; the military recently threatened to wipe the Communist dynasty “off the face of the earth” if it dared to launch a nuclear attack. And, breaking with the tone of her archconservative predecessor, Ms. Park told her generals that if the North staged even a limited attack, they should strike back “without political consideration” and without waiting for her approval. | Ms. Park and her military have parried the North’s over-the-top threats of nuclear holocaust with vitriol of their own; the military recently threatened to wipe the Communist dynasty “off the face of the earth” if it dared to launch a nuclear attack. And, breaking with the tone of her archconservative predecessor, Ms. Park told her generals that if the North staged even a limited attack, they should strike back “without political consideration” and without waiting for her approval. |
| She has something of a personal stake in taming North Korea. North Korean commandos came within striking distance of her father’s office in 1968 before they were repelled. And the assassin who killed her mother was believed to have been sent by the North to kill her father. (Her father was later killed by his own disgruntled spy chief.) | She has something of a personal stake in taming North Korea. North Korean commandos came within striking distance of her father’s office in 1968 before they were repelled. And the assassin who killed her mother was believed to have been sent by the North to kill her father. (Her father was later killed by his own disgruntled spy chief.) |
| Ms. Park’s ability to set any worries about her gender to rest has everything to do with her personal history. | Ms. Park’s ability to set any worries about her gender to rest has everything to do with her personal history. |
| In a country with so few female leaders and a gender income gap that is one of the widest in the developing world, South Koreans explain their relative lack of interest in Ms. Park’s sex by saying they elected her for her political pedigree. | In a country with so few female leaders and a gender income gap that is one of the widest in the developing world, South Koreans explain their relative lack of interest in Ms. Park’s sex by saying they elected her for her political pedigree. |
| Ms. Park is seen as very much her father’s daughter, practically channeling his resolve against the enemy to the north that drove him to talk openly about “exterminating” Communists. | Ms. Park is seen as very much her father’s daughter, practically channeling his resolve against the enemy to the north that drove him to talk openly about “exterminating” Communists. |
| The former dictator, Park Chung-hee, remains the country’s most popular former leader, despite a record of human rights abuses, mainly because of his role in shepherding South Korea’s then-feeble economy and helping build one of the world’s most remarkable economic success stories. | The former dictator, Park Chung-hee, remains the country’s most popular former leader, despite a record of human rights abuses, mainly because of his role in shepherding South Korea’s then-feeble economy and helping build one of the world’s most remarkable economic success stories. |
| During the campaign, many voters — even conservatives wary of female leaders — said they would back Ms. Park, who is not married and has no children, solely because of her father. | During the campaign, many voters — even conservatives wary of female leaders — said they would back Ms. Park, who is not married and has no children, solely because of her father. |
| “She is not a woman,” said Bong Young-shik, a senior research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, reflecting a common view in the country. “She is Park Chung-hee personified in a woman’s body.” | “She is not a woman,” said Bong Young-shik, a senior research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, reflecting a common view in the country. “She is Park Chung-hee personified in a woman’s body.” |
| As a legislator, Ms. Park was never known for a feminist agenda, and her male rival in the presidential election won the backing of many women’s groups. | As a legislator, Ms. Park was never known for a feminist agenda, and her male rival in the presidential election won the backing of many women’s groups. |
| Despite her toughness, Ms. Park has also displayed a pragmatic side. In 2002, when her country was warming to the North, she built her political standing by visiting Pyongyang, and the son of the man who may have ordered the assassination attempt that killed her mother. | Despite her toughness, Ms. Park has also displayed a pragmatic side. In 2002, when her country was warming to the North, she built her political standing by visiting Pyongyang, and the son of the man who may have ordered the assassination attempt that killed her mother. |
| While campaigning, before the current standoff began with the North’s nuclear test, Ms. Park offered a nuanced approach to her country’s enemy. She said she would offer much-needed humanitarian aid, but make no big concessions until the North gave up its nuclear weapons or won the South’s “trust.” | While campaigning, before the current standoff began with the North’s nuclear test, Ms. Park offered a nuanced approach to her country’s enemy. She said she would offer much-needed humanitarian aid, but make no big concessions until the North gave up its nuclear weapons or won the South’s “trust.” |
| That offer faded amid the din of the North’s threats, which have defined her early weeks in office. | That offer faded amid the din of the North’s threats, which have defined her early weeks in office. |
| Ms. Park began to scale back her hard line only this week, and then only after the stock market slumped and a foreign business leader openly questioned whether the South would remain stable enough for investment. | |
| With her father’s economic legacy to protect, Ms. Park tried to halt the series of escalating threats and counter-threats by making a vague offer of talks. But she did not revert, as previous administrations have done, to offering much-needed aid to ease tensions. | With her father’s economic legacy to protect, Ms. Park tried to halt the series of escalating threats and counter-threats by making a vague offer of talks. But she did not revert, as previous administrations have done, to offering much-needed aid to ease tensions. |
| Unless the economy gets much worse, experts expect that Ms. Park will stand her ground, attempting to force the North to take a step back from the brink. | Unless the economy gets much worse, experts expect that Ms. Park will stand her ground, attempting to force the North to take a step back from the brink. |
| In her family, the experts point out, resolve is inherited. | In her family, the experts point out, resolve is inherited. |
| Her mother was shot in a theater as Mr. Park was speaking onstage. After she was rushed away, bleeding, Mr. Park turned to his audience and resumed his speech. | Her mother was shot in a theater as Mr. Park was speaking onstage. After she was rushed away, bleeding, Mr. Park turned to his audience and resumed his speech. |
| Days later, the 22-year-old Ms. Park, just back from school in Paris, abandoned her dream of becoming a professor and stepped in as de facto first lady. | Days later, the 22-year-old Ms. Park, just back from school in Paris, abandoned her dream of becoming a professor and stepped in as de facto first lady. |
| Nearly 40 years later, she re-entered the presidential Blue House, this time as the leader herself. | Nearly 40 years later, she re-entered the presidential Blue House, this time as the leader herself. |