Senior ruling party official presses leadership over economic bills

A senior official of the ruling Saenuri Party called on the party leadership Friday to pass a set of economic bills pending in parliament or be prepared to resign.

Rep. Kim Tae-ho, a member of the ruling party's Supreme Council, made the remarks a day after he offered to step down over his apparent inability to contribute to the smooth running of parliamentary affairs.

He especially cited the National Assembly's failure to pass a set of economic bills the government has designated as urgent.

His sudden resignation caused a stir within the ruling party as few people had seen it coming less than four months after he was elected to the post in a national convention.

Speculation is rife that the move may have been coordinated with the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in an attempt to weaken the power base of Saenuri Chairman Kim Moo-sung, who recently clashed with President Park Geun-hye over whether to begin discussions on a constitutional revision.

Others have suggested that Kim Tae-ho could be seeking to boost his image as a potential presidential candidate in the next election scheduled for 2017. The Saenuri chairman is currently considered a leading presidential aspirant.

By law, Park cannot seek re-election after her single five-year term ends in early 2018.

Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly, Kim Tae-ho called on the party leadership to act in a way that can win the trust of the public and the sympathy of the president.

Asked whether the party's leadership, including Chairman Kim and floor leader Lee One-koo, should resign in the event that the economic bills fail to pass through the current parliamentary session ending in December, he said, "It's right to be prepared for that."

On his alleged presidential ambitions, he asked, "Who doesn't have political dreams?

"However, in the end, it's only possible when what I do now and its values come to bud in the minds of the people. It's not something that's possible if I just set my mind on the presidency." (Yonhap)