Threats, splits mire opposition party

Turmoil in the Grand National Party continued Sunday when the new vice president Lee Bu-young called for the resignation of the entire leadership of the party, including the party leader Lee Hoi-chang. Lee Bu-young's demand signaled that the party mood is going from shaky to turbulent in the aftermath of the secession of Park Geun-hye, the party's former vice president.

Mr. Lee said the party was in a "serious crisis" and called for an emergency committee to be formed after the resignation of the present leadership. He also called for delaying the presidential primaries until after the local elections in June and for re-examining how the party holds primaries for its candidate for the mayoralty of Seoul. Mr. Lee threatened to resign from his post should his proposals be turned down.

On the same day, the Grand National Party assemblyman Kim Deog-ryong declared that he would join Ms. Park, "with whose thoughts I am in accord."

On Friday, the party member Hong Sa-duk withdrew from the race for the mayor of Seoul by choosing not to register as a candidate. Mr. Hong is reportedly considering joining Ms. Park's soon-to-be formed party.

"We will never accept a political shakeup that tries to break our party apart," Lee Hoi-chang said at a press conference on Sunday, "nor do we think [such a shakeup] will succeed." He also turned down Mr. Kim's proposal to adopt a "group leader system," saying the party's structure was already decided.

by Lee Sang-il