Park Geun-hye's top election aide resigns over party division

Ruling party presidential candidate Park Geun-hye's top election aide resigned Sunday as internal controversy grows within the Saenuri Party over her election strategies and falling popularity ratings, with the December election only two months away.

"For the sake of the party's unity and election victory, I will resign as the top secretary of Park," Choi Kyung-hwan said in a hastily-organized news conference. "As I step down, I will take all responsibility for the skepticism raised over an election victory."

"The presidential election is only about 70 days away. We don't have time for finger-pointing," Choi said, urging party members to end their internal strife and unite for election victory.

Choi's resignation came amid internal bickering over the Park camp's controversial appointment of election camp members as well as election strategies, particularly those involving Park's stance over her father and former president Park Chung-hee's 16-year dictatorship.

Some party members called for an overhaul in Park's election aide lineup as the edge she had over two liberal candidates in initial popularity polls recently narrowed.

"I hope there will be no more talk of pro-Park (members) or Park's core inside people," Choi said, referring to internal complaints the election camp was exclusively staffed by party members classified as pro-Park.

"If there have been any errors regarding election strategies, blame no one but me," he said.

Following Choi's news conference, Park told reporters in Ilsan the party should now strive for harmony.

"Any artificial division of the party will only create further confusion. We should now move towards harmony," she said. (Yonhap)