· Stresses "first the truth, then appropriate measures": determined to respond head on

· Mentioned current issues for the first time after a month and a half of "silence": opposition party claims "irrelevant" remarks

On October 31, President Park Geun-hye broke her long silence and spoke about the intervention in the presidential election by state agencies such as the National Intelligence Service (NIS). However, she adhered to the existing position that she "had nothing to do with" the incident, just as she had repeatedly drawn the line through previous statements made by Cheong Wa Dae and Prime Minister Jung Hong-won. Experts assessed that the president's remarks were not enough to resolve the intense confrontation currently ongoing in the political circle.

The president mentioned political issues for the first time in a month and a half since the 3-party meeting at the National Assembly with the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties on September 16, 2013. She seemed to be conscious of the critical public opinion cooling towards the silence of the chief of state affairs, because Cheong Wa Dae had organized and released a statement by the prime minister three days ago to no effect--only to be criticized for "reading on behalf of the president." The president was cornered into a situation where she had to personally handle the issue. She may have gained confidence after the ruling party celebrated a landslide victory in the parliamentary by-elections in two constituencies the day before.

President Park began her remarks during a meeting with her senior secretaries by mentioning the intervention in the presidential election. The president's remarks lasted about 3 minutes. Not once did she mention the NIS. She simply said, "As the prime minister stressed a few days ago..." hinting at the alleged involvement in the presidential election by the intelligence service. It was impressive how she had thought out even the smallest details.

President Park Geun-hye enters the conference room for a meeting with her senior secretaries on October 31. Cheong Wa Dae press photographers

It was significant how the president had mentioned, "Personally, I have done nothing to raise suspicions." This was slightly different from her previous position: "I have nothing to do with it [the political intervention] since I did not receive any help from the NIS." Some experts suggested that the president may have tried to pull up a barrier beforehand with the word, "personally" to claim that she was not aware of the intervention in the presidential election by state agencies in a situation where she now has no other choice but to acknowledge the fact that these organizations were involved in the election as uncovered by the prosecutors' investigation. Some also claimed that the president said, "I will take the series of allegations as a lesson in next year's local elections," while promising the political neutrality of those in public office, as a way to state that she will not allow such an incident to repeat. It was also impressive how the president had stressed, "I have followed the principle of democracy ever since I entered politics, and have worked to realize the democratization of political parties."

President Park's remarks can be summarized into three elements: a thorough investigation, followed by necessary measures after a court ruling, and measures to prevent recurrence. As the president follows the prime minister in promising "first the truth, then appropriate measures," it appears she intends to block any political attack from the opposition.

This is a repeat of the position which Cheong Wa Dae had expressed in the past. It is not much different from the statement released by the prime minister. In short, she continued to argue that the opposition was demanding an apology and disregarding the public well-being despite the fact that irregularities in the presidential election were irrelevant to her. She also put off the time to prepare specific measures far back to after the "court ruling." A Cheong Wa Dae official said, "It looks like we'll have to wait until the court's final decision."

This has led people to continue raising doubts about whether the president really intends to resolve this issue. In other words, after practically ousting former Prosecutor General Chae Dong-wook because of the NIS case and excluding Yoon Seok-yeol, former head of the special investigation team, from the investigation, "a thorough investigation" may simply be rhetoric. Some suggest that whether the president replaces Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Sung-choon, who intervened in the presidential election under the guise of conducting security education, may put the president's words of political neutrality among public officials to the test.

It appears the president's lukewarm statement may not be enough to resolve the political deadlock. Given the president's perception, it seems unlikely that she will express a more forward-looking position.

The response from the opposition was cold. Bae Jae-jung, spokesperson for the Democratic Party said, "She mentioned what was so obvious too late. What's more, what she said was really irrelevant." Concerning the president's statement on "democracy," he said, "It's deplorable. Is turning the ruling party into a 'cat in your lap' and ignoring the demands of the opposition party democracy and the democratization of political parties?"