Well-liked Park

Park is well liked by the Chinese public for her ability to speak Mandarin and status as the first female head of state in Northeast Asia. Many people in both countries expect China-ROK relations to warm up after growing cool under Park's predecessor, Lee Myung-bak, whose tough stance on the DPRK stands in stark contrast with the trust-building process Park has outlined.

During a 1974 assassination attempt on her father, then-president Park Chung-hee, Park's mother was killed. Chinese media reports have said Park found strength after losing both her parents by reading works of Chinese philosopher Feng Youlan.

Regarding the US strategic rebalancing in Asia, Park said: "If the DPRK were to choose to become a responsible member of the international community and desist from provocations ... I am sure we would not need to see the strengthening of military postures in the region."

Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said that while Park wants to send a message of strengthening relations and building trust with China, her center of gravity is the US-ROK alliance.

Park, whose five-day US trip ends on Friday, repeated to the Post her earlier-stated frustration with some Japanese officials' conduct regarding that country's behavior in World War II.

"The Japanese have been opening past wounds and have been letting them fester, and this applies not only to Korea but also to other neighboring countries," she said in the interview. "This arrests our ability to really build momentum, so I hope that Japan reflects upon itself."

Addressing a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday morning, Park said, "Those who are blind to the past cannot see the future.

"This is obviously a problem for here and now. But the larger issue is about tomorrow. For where there is failure to acknowledge honestly what happened yesterday, there can be no tomorrow," she said.