By Kim Hyo-jin
In Myung-jin, interim leader of the ruling Saenuri Party, said Tuesday that he is considering expelling impeached President Park Geun-hye from the party.
“I’m collecting opinions from party members about this while taking public opinion into consideration,” In said during a radio interview.
In, the newly-appointed chief, has pressured key loyalists of Park to leave the party as part of his efforts to resuscitate it in the fallout of the corruption scandal involving the President and her confidant Choi Soon-sil.
Whether to sever the relations with the impeached President has been another issue for In amid aggravated public opinion against her.
Park has appealed to keep her party membership in the post-impeachment stage but it has been a burden for the party as it is seeking to shake off the tarnished image caused by the corruption scandal ahead of the presidential election possibly slated for early this year.
In indicated that it could take time to be sorted out, saying, “It’s really tricky now that she has been impeached by the Assembly. The meaning of her presidency matters more than that of her party membership for now.”
Meanwhile, In has ratcheted up his reformist push in the party in defiance of key loyalists to Park ― Rep. Suh Chung-won, an eight-term lawmaker and the de-facto leader of the pro-Park faction, and Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan, a former finance minister under the Park administration.
He started establishing the leadership committee, Monday, by appointing former Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo and Rep. Park Wan-soo as its members. Floor leader Rep. Chung Woo-taik and chief policymaker Rep. Lee Hyun-jae were appointed as ex officio members.
He barely managed to summon the loyalists-controlled party’s national standing committee and get approval of his nominations at a second attempt.
The first attempt to hold the committee meeting fell through last week as the key Park followers leaned on its members not to attend, party officials said.
The officials expected that In would gain momentum in his push to oust Park loyalists with the newly-formed leadership body.
In urged the key loyalists to quit the party during the first meeting of the leadership committee.
“I hope those who are still wielding power in factional politics will back off and stop resisting the flow for reform,” he said.
Reprimanding the loyalists, In said, “What they have shown in the process of sabotaging the party’s national committee meeting can be likened to the obsolete politics from the 1950s.”
The new leadership body will be able to form a party ethics committee. It can officially expel party members with two-thirds of the support from the party lawmakers.
Suh has strongly resisted In’s call to leave the party, labeling him a “tyrant.” He filed a lawsuit against In, Monday, for a breach of the law on political parties and defamation of members.