Former President Park Geun-hye is seen greeted by her supporter at a local election campaign trail in Daejeon on Monday. (Pool photo via Yonhap) Former President Park Geun-hye appears to be once again taking a role in politics, appearing on the conservatives' campaign trail.Park visited the conservative stronghold of Daegu on Saturday, as well as Daejeon and the neighboring South Chungcheong Province on Monday. Her return comes as the major right-wing People Power Party struggles to solidify its support base ahead of the June election.During her appearances, Park endorsed People Power Party candidates, namely mayoral candidates Choo Kyung-ho for Daegu andLee Jang-woo for Daejeon, as well as gubernatorial candidates Kim Young-hwan for North Chungcheong Province and Kim Tae-heum for South Chungcheong Province.Park is also set to visit Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province on Wednesday, and Gangwon Province on Thursday.All eyes are on what impact the return of the retired politician, once nicknamed "queen of elections," will have on the upcoming election on June 3.A poll released by Korea Society Opinion Institute on Tuesday showed that support for Choo in Daegu came to 50.1 percent, more than 9 percentage points higher than his Democratic Party of Korea rival Kim Boo-kyum, a former prime ministerThe results marked the first election prediction that showed Choo was ahead of Kim in the race. The result came shortly after Park's public appearance to endorse Choo, as the poll was conducted from Sunday to Monday.Park, the eldest daughter of authoritarian ex-President Park Chung-hee, overcame significant disadvantages in the general elections in her political career. She led campaigns to narrow down losses in the 2004 general election and managed to retain the conservative party's majority in the National Assembly in 2012. Such achievements contributed to her victory in the presidential election in December 2012.Park, however, was ousted by the Constitutional Court in 2017 following her impeachment due to a broad corruption scandal that triggered massive public protests and calls for her removal from office.Park was sentenced to 22 years in prison in 2017, but was granted a special pardon in December 2021 by Park's successor, Moon Jae-in.Rep. Kim Byung-joo of the ruling Democratic Party said Tuesday on his Facebook that Park's failure to keep a low profile in her post-presidential routine betrays the public's expectation."Instead of bowing her head before the people (in a show of apology), she is waving her hand to cheering supporters," Kim noted. "A special pardon is an act of compassion bestowed by the people. The only way to repay that compassion is to live a secluded life."Their remarks mirrored those of the Democratic Party's gubernatorial candidate for Gyeonggi Province, Choo Mi-ae, who said Monday that Park's return to the campaign trail "should not be tolerated.""(Park was) the central figure of the sweeping political scandal, and she dares to show up on the campaign trail although her lifetime of apology would not be enough," Choo added.Another Democratic Party lawmaker, Rep. Park Jee-hye, said in a press conference Tuesday that the return of Park indicates a lack of leadership in the People Power Party, which will therefore "have a limited impact."Rep. Park Jeong-ha of the People Power Party said in a radio interview Tuesday that there was no symbolic figure who could appeal to traditional supporters, adding the former president's appearance on the campaign trail would "help bring traditional right-wing supporters who were reluctant to vote."The lawmaker is part of the pro-Han Dong-hoon faction, leaning toward the former party chair, at odds with the current chair, Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok.An expert noted that Park's appearance could rally conservative support base amid right-wing supporters' dissatisfaction toward the current leadership under Jang."It seems that the conservative identity is now being established," said Eom Ki-hong, professor of political science at Kyungpook National University."It seems to be settling down as 'this is what conservatism is and it is something symbolized by Park Geun-hye. Furthermore, there could be a sentiment among the party leadership that uniting under Park might be a viable approach."