Rep. Yoo Seong-min, former floor leader of the ruling conservative Saenuri Party, left the party late Wednesday to run as independent candidate in the April 13 general election, putting an end to the tug-of-war with the leadership over his candidacy.


“Trusting in the nation’s constitution, which states that all power originates from the people, I plan to leave my old home and run for the sake of justice,” Yoo said at a press conference in the conservative stronghold of Daegu.

“The party’s nomination has been all about political retaliation of the pro-Parks against the non-Parks.”

His defection was made official at the eleventh hour, just hours before the National Election Commission started the two-day candidate registration.

Early on Thursday, Saenuri’s nomination committee chairman Rep. Lee Hahn-koo shot back at Yoo, saying he was leaving on his own will and out of political greed.

The committee has been withholding its nomination for Yoo’s constituency, pressuring the former whip to leave on his own. Yoo had until Wednesday midnight to make a decision as under the current election laws, running as an independent would require him to leave the party before the official registration of candidates began Thursday.

The third-termer was once considered a close aide to President Park Geun-hye. Yoo resigned from his post as floor leader last July after the president publicly rebuked him for leading negotiations with the main opposition party on passing a parliamentary revision bill.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)