Bareun Party's head resigns after Park unseated

Rep. Choung Byoung-gug, head of the Bareun Party, on Friday stepped down, saying he has fulfilled his role to unseat President Park Geun-hye.

Earlier in the day, the Constitutional Court upheld the ouster of Park, acknowledging she abused her power to help her friend Choi Soon-sil pursue personal gains. Park was impeached by parliament in December.

"I have fulfilled the role as the first head of the Bareun Party," Choung said. "Now I plan to drop all titles for the expansion of the party's presence and the unity of the people."

The conservative Bareun Party was launched by defectors from the then ruling Saenuri Party, which is now the Liberty Korea Party, after factional feuds with loyalists to Park.

Expressing disappointment with the so-called pro-Park faction, around 30 lawmakers departed to establish their own party. 

Choung said the party still needs to attract more supporters, while seeking to revise the Constitution, which is blamed by some as granting excessive power to the president.

"It was depressing to impeach the president elected by our hands," Choung added. "But the Bareun Party placed the top priority on the voice of the people, which resulted in the Constitutional Court's ruling." (Yonhap)