The ruling Saenuri Party on Sunday called on the main opposition party to accept the new government reorganization plan with less than a day remaining before President-elect Park Geun-hye takes office.

Party chief Hwang Woo-yea and floor leader Lee Hahn-koo convened a meeting of senior officials and deliberated on how best to get the Democratic United Party (DUP) to pass the bill.

"We have tried our best to respect the wishes of the opposition party by accepting many of their requests, but they have not moved at all on the broadcast policy issue," a Saenuri official said.

The bill has hit a snag because the DUP has consistently objected to broadcast policy setting rights being transferred to the new ministry of future creation and science. The opposition wants this authority to remain under the Korea Communications Commission, which it claims is more "neutral" than a government ministry.

Failure to pass the reorganization bill means that Park, 61, will lead a government organized according to the structure set by outgoing President Lee Myung-bak. In addition, because of delays in the selection of ministers and disagreements in the parliamentary confirmation process, South Korea's first female president will have to initially work with the existing Cabinet.

Saenuri officials said they were trying to reset relations with the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae and the government to ensure freer flow of information, bearing in mind criticism that Park has been slow to receive feedback from the party which she led twice in the past.

"Close cooperation is vital to reducing the risk of making wrong steps that can exert negative influence on Park's five year presidency," a lawmaker, who declined to be identified, said. (Yonhap News)