Saenuri Party elects Rep. Kim Moo-sung as new chairman

The ruling Saenuri Party elected political heavyweight Rep. Kim Moo-sung as its new chairman at a national convention on Monday.
 

Rep. Kim from Busan defeated his rival candidate Rep. Suh Chung-won, a close aide to President Park Geun-hye, in a vote. He replaced Rep. Hwang Woo-yea. 

Kim will lead the conservative party for the next two years, while four runners up -- Suh, Kim Tae-ho, Rhee In-je and Kim Ul-dong -- will take places on the party’s supreme council. 

The outcome of the election is expected to bring significant changes to the ruling party, and its relationship with Cheong Wa Dae.

Kim has promised to establish a relationship of “healthy tension” with Cheong Wa Dae and that he would speak out against the administration when necessary. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)