Park Geun-hye presides over a National Security Council meeting at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, in this handout picture provided by the Presidential Blue House and released by News1 on August 22, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Park reached a "final and irreversible" agreement with Japan on comfort women, a euphemism for Korean women who were forced or lured into sexual slavery for Japanese military brothels before and during World War. She pushed for the state-owned history textbook, stoking condemnation that she tries to beautify her father's military dictatorship.

Labor market reforms increased irregular workers, reducing regular employees. Youth unemployment skyrocketed, triggering a phenomenon in which disenchanted young people call their country a "hell". Household debts surged to a fresh new high as they were encouraged to purchase new homes with borrowed money.