South Korea ruling party’s acting chairman tenders resignation

Seoul, Jul 31 (EFE).- The acting chairman and floor leader of South Korea’s ruling People Power Party (PPP) said Sunday that he has submitted his resignation amid internal squabbles in the party.

“I will give up my role as the acting chairman,” Kweon Seong-dong said in a Facebook post.

“I will make every effort to swiftly make the transition to an emergency committee system,” he added, local news agency Yonhap news reported.

Kweon’s post came hours after PPP lawmaker Cho Su-jin resigned from the party’s council, two days after another member, Bae Hyun-jin, stepped down.

Cho and Bae’s resignations came after some party members questioned Kweon’s leadership after he was caught on a press camera exchanging text messages with the country’s president, Yoon Suk-yeol, criticizing suspended party chief, Lee Jun-seok.

Kweon became the PPP’s acting leader earlier this month after Lee’s membership was suspended for six months due to allegations that he received sexual services paid for by a businessman in 2013.

Kweon is among President Yoon’s closest confidants, which also include lawmakers Chang Je-won and Yoon Han-hong.

Lee’s appointment last year as leader of South Korea’s main conservative party at the age of 37, having never won a parliamentary seat, came as a surprise to many.

Since his appointment, he has had ongoing disputes with party members close to Yoon.

Lee has claimed that the case that has led to his dismissal is a conspiracy against him by this group.

At least half of the party’s nine council members must resign for it to be dissolved. EFE

co-mra/pd/jt