Thursday’s revelation of a blackmail attempt by a Saenuri official targeting Ahn Cheol-soo has triggered mayhem throughout the ruling party scrambling to prevent the fallout affecting the chances of presidential candidate Park Geun-hye.

Jeong Joon-gil, a former prosecutor and communication officer with Park’s campaign, offered to resign about two hours after Geum Tae-seop, an attorney close to Ahn, accused him of threatening to expose bribes and “women problems” involving the professor if he runs for Cheong Wa Dae.

Jeong utterly denied the claim, saying the conversation was part of a “casual phone call between friends.” The two first met with each other in college.

Saenuri has immediately begun crafting countermeasures as the announcement may damage Park if she is seen as being behind a plot to intimidate Ahn. The former party chairwoman has been trumpeting reform and transparency as the centerpiece of her statecraft.

The software mogul-turned-professor leads polls among potential contenders, though he has yet to officially launch his bid for the December vote.

With Park visiting the typhoon-stricken southern areas, Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan, her chief secretary, sought an explanation from Jeong following Geum’s news conference.

The election steering team also held an emergency meeting around an hour after the event.

Her camp is expected to wait and see how things develop for the time being but a party-wide emergency meeting may take place if the scandal gathers momentum, observers say.

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)