An internal feud within the nation’s ruling Saenuri Party deepened Friday, as loyalists to the president insisted on remaining in the party, clashing with the new interim chief’s attempt at a shake-up in the wake of the scandal involving President Park Geun-hye.
A group of Park loyalists, centered around senior figures such as Reps. Suh Chung-won and Choi Kyung-hwan, refused to leave the party this day, gesturing at opposing the party‘s interim chief In Myung-jin’s earlier ultimatum.
After some 30 non-Park lawmakers defected last week to create a new conservative party, In insisted that pro-Park figures should leave the party by this week to allow it to cut off ties with the president and start anew.
His action caused former party Chairman Rep. Lee Jung-hyun, another ranking pro-Park figure, to leave the party in the hope that this would forestall further divides.
But despite Lee’s defection, Suh and In continued to clash. While Suh denounced In for abusing his power, In blasted upon the party for blindly following Suh and the pro-Park clique and turning a blind eye to calls for reform.
Speculations rose that In was considering a compulsory membership suspension of Suh and Choi but floor leader Rep. Chung Woo-taik claimed the rumors to be groundless. The centrist whip has been trying to keep the divided party together, especially with an earlier-than-planned presidential election just around the corner -- much likely in March-April this year.
The interim chief, in order to reinforce his influence within the party on the expulsion of the pro-Parks, summoned for a national standing committee this day but the event was thwarted due to a lack of quorum.
“In spite of all our struggles, there are those who stand against reform so as to safeguard their vested rights,“ Rep. Chung told reporters.
”We will summon (the committee) once again some time within next week.“
