YONHAP NEWS

Ruling party leader rejects call for reinstatement of defectors

   SEOUL, May 12 (Yonhap) -- The chairman of South Korea's ruling party Monday reiterated his resolve to veto the reinstatement of party defectors, widening the rift with the party's former chairwoman who wants their return.
Park Geun-hye, the former chairwoman of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) who met with President Lee Myung-bak over the weekend, requested reentry of all her supporters who bolted from the party after failing to win party tickets to run in last month's parliamentary elections.

   President Lee agreed to "sincerely deal" with the issue to heal the internal feud, presidential officials said.

   But the party's current leader, Kang Jae-sup, expressed discontent toward Park's continuing request, making clear that he will not take back the pro-Park group within his tenure, which will end in July, when the GNP is scheduled to elect a new leader.

   "I have my own principle," Kang told reporters on Monday. "The presidential office has not contacted me with any request on the matter."
Supporters of Park bolted from the party and established a small conservative group amid an uproar over the nomination of candidates for the April 9 parliamentary elections.

   Successfully splitting the conservative vote with the ruling party by ranking third in the elections, the splinter group secured 14 seats in the incoming parliament, and has been expressing hope of returning to the party with Park's help.

   But the ongoing factional feud and prosecutors' investigation into the splinter group's questionable selection of lawmakers has been a further obstacle to its return to the GNP.

   Park, who retains considerable political influence among the country's right-wingers as the eldest daughter of late President Park Chung-hee, has been an in-house rival of President Lee since they competed for the party's nomination to run in the December presidential election.

   Pressing the party to reinstate her supporters, Park has promised not to run in the party's July leadership elections.

   hayney@yna.co.kr
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