Park had been familiar with Chinese ancient classics at a very young age. When she was in primary school, she began to be crazy about History of the Three Kingdoms, from which she learnt legendary tales in ancient China and admired those chivalrous and smart heroes.

"Could Zhao Zilong (a military general in the Three Kingdoms period) be my first love? My heart beat fast once he appeared," she wrote in her biography.

Park's early experience related to Chinese culture has made her devoted to learning Chinese language.

In her 30s, Park began to learn Chinese from TV programs. She always brought tapes with her to practise speaking Chinese. After she joined politics, Park always asked her interpreter to correct her pronunciation during her visits to China.

Now, Park's good mastery of Chinese, which has even drawn admiration from US President Barack Obama, is considered a weight added to China-South Korea relations.

The common view in culture has brought Park closer to China. She visited China many times before she became president. After she took office, Park, who led a big business delegation, unprecedentedly visited China prior to Japan.

Park believes the South Korean dream and the Chinese dream are interconnected and a harmonious relationship between the two countries will have bright prospects.

"I believe if the South Korean dream could accompany the Chinese dream, we will certainly realize the dream of building a new Northeast Asia," she said.