DP's ex-interim leader Park declares bid for party chairmanship

Politics 11:41 July 15, 2022

SEOUL, July 15 (Yonhap) -- Park Ji-hyun, a former interim leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), declared her bid for the party's chairmanship Friday.

"I decided to run for the party leadership to change the DP into a competent party that can take care of people's livelihoods and overcome crises, and an open-minded party that can listen to different voices," Park told reporters in a news conference held in front of the National Assembly complex.

Park also said the DP lost people's support due to sex offense cases involving a series of former party members, pledging to create a system to swiftly deal with such cases with no tolerance.

The DP plans to hold a national convention on Aug. 28 to elect a new leader, but Park is unlikely to be allowed to run in the leadership election due to her less-than-six-month-old party membership.

The party has already decided not to make an exception for her.

The 26-year-old politician, who joined the party on Feb. 14, was seen as a symbol of generational change in the DP but stepped down as the party's interim leader following its crushing defeat in last month's local elections.