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S. Korean ruling party leaders resign en masse due to election defeat
Updated 12:06, 09-Apr-2021
CGTN

The leaders of South Korean ruling Democratic Party (DP) resigned en masse Thursday to take responsibility for the shocking rout in this week's by-elections.

"Taking responsibility for the results of the elections, all (members of) the DP leadership are stepping down," Kim Tae-nyeon, the party's acting chairman and floor leader, said in a press conference at the National Assembly in the capital city Seoul.

Promising thorough efforts for innovation, Kim said "through the election this time, the people have given the DP a lot of tasks." 

The ruling party will hold a convention to pick a new chairman on May 2, a week earlier than initially planned, and an election for a new floor leader on Friday next week.

President Moon Jae-in's party suffered a crushing defeat in the by-elections for new mayors of the country's two biggest cities: capital Seoul and southeastern port city of Busan.

It marked the first victory of the main opposition conservative bloc in about five years since the DP won nationwide elections, including general elections in 2016 and 2020, local elections in 2018 and the presidential election in 2017.

Members of South Korean ruling Democratic Party watch screens showing the result of exit polls of the Seoul mayoral by-election at the party headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, April 7, 2021. /Reuters

Members of South Korean ruling Democratic Party watch screens showing the result of exit polls of the Seoul mayoral by-election at the party headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, April 7, 2021. /Reuters

In a statement on Thursday, Moon said that he took the result as a "reprimand" from the public, adding that he will carry out his duties with a "humble demeanor and heavy sense of responsibility."

The president vowed to make all-out efforts on meeting the people's "desperate demands," including overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, revitalizing the economy, stabilizing people's livelihoods and rooting out corruption in the real estate market.

The country's third wave of the pandemic began in the middle of November last year. In the latest tally, South Korea reported 700 more coromavirus cases for the past 24 hours, the highest daily caseload in 91 days.

The land speculation scandal involving officials at the Korea Land and Housing Corp., the state developer, dealt a heavy blow to the ruling bloc, overshadowing the allegations of property speculation over conservative candidates.

The moral standing of the DP suffered a blow as the former mayors of Seoul and Busan, both members of the ruling party, committed suicide or stepped down on allegations of sexual harassment.

Moon is believed to shuffle his cabinet and probably his presidential team as well, in a bid to gain fresh momentum.

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