With the election less than a month away, parties acted swiftly to cancel nominations of candidates at the center of controversy for remarks or allegations of corruption.

The main opposition Democratic United Party on Thursday revoked two of its candidates for the April 11 legislative election ― incumbent Rep. Jeon Hae-sook and former Rep. Lee Hwa-young.

“The Supreme Council decided to revoke their candidacy,” spokesperson Shin Gyeong-min told reporters after a meeting of the liberal party’s top decision-making body at the National Assembly in Seoul.

Although the party did not give specific reasons for the decision, it is widely seen as an attempt to quell controversy surrounding the two politicians’ nominations.

Jeon, who had been chosen to contest Seoul’s Gwangjin A district, has been accused of an illegal campaign to bolster her popularity among residents there in order to win the party’s ticket.

Lee, picked for the Donghae-Samcheok constituency in Gangwon Province, has been indicted recently for allegedly receiving illegal political funds from a local savings bank.

The opposition party’s move came on the heels of a similar decision by the ruling Saenuri Party to dump Park Sang-il and Lee Young-jo from the list of its standard bearers.

Selected for battles in Seoul’s upscale residential area of Gangnam, both Park and Lee had received flak for their past controversial remarks on the nation’s history.

“After detailed discussions, the Saenuri Party concluded that Park and Lee do not reflect the party’s views or future position,” said Rep. Hwang Young-chul, the conservative party’s spokesman.

Party leaders, in their meeting Thursday, praised their speedy handling of the mishaps, while apologizing to voters.

“We tried hard to thoroughly check candidates’ credentials, but we had our limits and failed to see some issues they have,” said Chung Hong-won, head of the party’s candidate screening committee. He hinted that more candidates could face the ax.

Political observers said the parties were lying low to appease voters dissatisfaction.

Both the Saenuri and DUP had vowed to drastically change the way they select candidates and open the door wide for promising, young lawmaker-aspirants.

Their nomination processes, however, were marred by controversy, factional feuding and even a suicide.

The Saenuri leadership, headed by Rep. Park Geun-hye, are accused of being vindictive against members loyal to President Lee Myung-bak who have had a rivalry with them.

Some members, including Rep. Chun Yu-ok and Kim Hyun-chul, deserted party membership in protest, after they failed to win the party’s ticket.

The DUP is also mired in a similar problem. Former Rep. Han Kwang-ok created a new party after he was denied the party’s nomination. A voluntary campaigner committed suicide by jumping from a building last month in the southern city of Gwangju amid the national election watchdog’s probe into alleged election irregularities. A female member who applied for the party’s nomination in a constituency in Seoul also attempted suicide.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)