Main opposition Democratic Party leader Chung Sye-kyun on Friday offered to step down to take responsibility for the party’s defeat in the parliamentary by-elections earlier this week.

The DP plans to discuss whether to accept Chung’s resignation over the weekend, party spokesman Woo Sang-ho said.

“There are views that someone should take responsibility for losing in the elections, so I believe I should resign as the party chairman,” Chung was quoted as saying by Woo during a closed-door meeting of the DP leadership.

Chung said other members of the party’s decision-making supreme council should stay to avoid turmoil, according to Woo. 

Democratic Party leader Chung Sye-kyun speaks at the meeting of DP leadership on Friday.                                                                                                                        Yonhap News

“But the DP will discuss whether to accept Chung’s resignation over the weekend as several senior lawmakers said it would be rather irresponsible of Chung to leave the party now when it prepares for a national convention (in September),” the spokesman said.

Minor factions within the DP have called on Chung to resign after the party managed to secure only three of the eight parliamentary seats up for grabs at the by-elections on Wednesday.

The four-term lawmaker has led the DP for the past two years.

With Chung’s resignation, the DP is set to enter a new phase of competition among the party’s so-called Big Three -- senior advisors Chung Dong-young, Sohn Hak-kyu and Rep. Chung.

Chung Dong-young, who beat Sohn in the race for the DP’s presidential candidacy in 2007, lost in the presidential election and was elected legislator in 2008.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldm.com)