A clearer view of what matters

Former President Park Geun-hye emphasized economic recovery and national unity while discussing how politics should connect to people’s everyday lives. She delivered those remarks as a representative of the bereaved family at a cultural event marking the 109th anniversary of the birth of the late former President Park Chung-hee, held in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province. The event also drew attention with the unveiling of an AI-generated video of Park Chung-hee.

Park said the role of politics is to solve people’s livelihood problems and ease their worries. When evaluating the economy, she added, it is not enough to look only at numbers; what matters is whether people feel that their lives are improving in daily life. In other words, she called for a real, tangible economic recovery that people can actually feel.

She said Korea has grown into a country recognized around the world, but also noted that she still has concerns when she looks at the current reality. On security, she referred to North Korea’s nuclear weapons and provocations, stressing the importance of creating an environment in which people can live with peace of mind and passing on a hopeful future to children. She also urged people to move beyond division and come together as one, saying that today’s prosperity did not come naturally.

Before the main event, a memorial ritual honoring Park Chung-hee was held at his birthplace in Sangmo-dong, Gumi, and a commemorative ceremony and celebration performance took place at the Gumi Complex Sports Center. At the event, the AI video of Park Chung-hee delivered a greeting in his characteristic voice and style of speech. Since the video was created with AI technology, it should be distinguished from actual archival footage filmed at the time. AI can be used to re-create the appearance of figures from the past in new ways, but the result cannot replace historical records themselves.

This event brought together a cultural commemoration of Park Chung-hee and messages about the economy, security, and social unity in the present day. The unveiling of the AI video also showed how technology is meeting the way historical figures are remembered. At the same time, it seems equally important to approach such content with an understanding of the difference between technological reconstruction and historical fact. The event details and remarks were compiled based on reporting by Gyeonggi Ilbo.