The minor opposition Unified Progressive Party (UPP) expelled four of its lawmakers Friday, a party spokeswoman said, in a move widely expected to spur the party's split ahead of December's presidential election.
The expulsions were approved at a plenary session of the party's lawmakers, shortly after the four proportional representatives held a joint press conference to announce they would be quitting the party to seek a new form of progressive politics.
The UPP has been embroiled in months of factional infighting over its allegedly rigged primary race ahead of April's parliamentary elections.
The smaller, reformist faction has demanded the expulsion of two lawmakers belonging to the larger faction, citing their suspected involvement in the scandal. The larger faction has refused, while stirring further controversy over its alleged pro-North Korea views.
During the news conference, the four lawmakers -- Reps. Park Won-suk, Seo Ki-ho, Jeong Jin-hoo and Kim Je-nam -- said they would accept expulsion in order to remain in parliament as independents. Under South Korean law, lawmakers elected on a proportional representative ticket lose their legislative seats if they voluntarily defect from their party.
All four belong to the smaller faction.
Ten of the party's 13 lawmakers attended the plenary session, with seven voting in favor of the expulsions and three abstaining, party spokeswoman Lee Jeong-mi said.
By law, the expulsions required approval from at least half of the party's lawmakers.
The vote set off another dispute within the party, with the larger faction arguing the plenary session was invalid as party regulations call for the floor leader to convene such a meeting, while the smaller faction dismissed the floor leader as having been elected by illegal means.
"The plenary session was invalid and we are considering a legal response," said Rep. Oh Byung-yun, who was elected as the floor leader during a separate plenary session convened by the larger faction earlier in the day.
The party's former floor leader, Rep. Sim Sang-jung, stepped down in July to take responsibility for the party's failure to oust the two scandal-ridden lawmakers.
Party chairman Kang Ki-kab called the plenary session in the absence of a floor leader, and was later taken to a hospital due to exhaustion from fasting, a party official said, asking not to be named. Kang started fasting on Monday as a way of seeking forgiveness for the party's crisis from party members and the public.
Meanwhile, the ongoing internal strife has prevented the party from fielding a candidate for the Dec. 19 presidential vote or joining forces with the main opposition Democratic United Party, which would help the opposition camp stand a better chance against the ruling Saenuri Party's candidate, Rep. Park Geun-hye.
The UPP's larger faction has accused members of the smaller faction of trying to abandon the party in order to help the DUP and benefit from its presidential campaign.
The expulsion of the proportional representatives leaves the UPP with nine seats in the 300-member National Assembly. (Yonhap)