Former Justice Minister Kang Geum-sil on Monday said Korea should move away from its authoritarian political system, during a press meeting promoting er latest book “Politics of Life” published by Rhodos Publishing.

The former minister said the ruling Saenuri Party has been following the authoritatian and controlling political style of former President Park Chunghee, nd the party with such a system should not rule the country for the next five years.

“We cannot move forward if we don’t move away from the authoritarian political style,” she told reporters. “What we need is an open, receptive political climate which triggers open debates and allows its people to participate freely.”

Kang also criticized Saenuri Party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye, saying many of her recent remarks, including the radio interview where she said there were “two verdicts” on the Inhyeokdang case — when activists were executed or jailed during a massive government crackdown during her father’s rule — are problematic and do not respect democracy. Park’s popularity ratings dropped after the show aired, and she officially apologized to the people who suffered under her father Park Chung-hee’s authoritarian regime two weeks later.

“What we need is a political administration that is knowledgeable about women’s rights and gender equality,” she said. “Having a female president does not necessarily guarantee the kind of administration we need.”

Kang, who served as the Minister of Justice from 2003 to 2004 in late President Roh Moo-hyun’s administration, is currently studying at Nicholas Cardinal heong Graduate School for Life at the Catholic University of Korea.

Her newly released book discusses environmental issues and women’s rights, as well as her vision for the ideal government which aims to serve the people rather than supervise them. “I think right now is a very important time for everyone in this country, as we are ahead of the presidential election,” she said. “As a voter, I wanted to express my thoughts and concerns with this book.”

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)