Main opposition party's new leadership election set for July

By a2017001

Published : May 22, 2017 - 09:52 Updated : May 22, 2017 - 11:04

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party will hold a new leadership election in July, its floor leader said Monday, as it strives to overcome the recent election defeat and regroup to keep the ruling bloc in check.

Chung Woo-taik said that his party decided to hold the election on July 3 to fill the top post that has been left vacant since former leader Lee Jung-hyun resigned in December amid a corruption scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye.

Chung Woo-taik, the floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, speaks during a meeting with party members at the National Assembly in Seoul on May 22, 2017. (Yonhap)

For the leadership post, a series of senior party members have been mentioned. They include Hong Joon-pyo, the party's former presidential candidate, and Reps. Hong Moon-jong and Won Yoo-chul. Chung declared he would not join the election.

Before the leadership contest, the party vowed to focus on a series of pending parliamentary tasks, including confirmation hearings on Prime Minister-nominee Lee Nak-yon and Constitutional Court President-designate Kim Yi-su, Chung said.

The extraordinary parliamentary session is set to be held from next Monday through June 27.

The party plans to form a panel to prepare for the leadership election, Chung said. At the panel, the party will decide on the voting method and procedures.

Meanwhile, the splinter conservative Bareun Party decided to pick its new leader during a meeting of senior party members on June 26, Kim Se-yeon, its secretary-general, told reporters.

The minor party was launched in January after having splintered from the then-Saenuri Party, a precursor to the Liberty Korea Party, in the wake of the scandal involving the disgraced former leader. The party's top post has been empty since its first leader, Choung Byoung-gug, offered to resign following the March 10 ouster of Park. (Yonhap)