The Unified Progressive Party said Thursday it has decided to oust two alleged pro-North Korea lawmakers and two other party members accused of being involved in an alleged rigged primary.

The move by the beleaguered party comes amid efforts by the conservative ruling Saenuri Party to strip Reps. Lee Seog-gi and Kim Jae-yeon of their seats.

Lee, Kim and the two others have faced weeks of pressure to voluntarily step down amid accusations that they were involved in the UPP’s alleged vote-rigging in selecting proportional representation candidates for the April parliamentary election.

“The four markedly violated their obligations to abide by the party’s constitution and regulations and follow the party’s instruction,” the UPP’s disciplinary committee said in a ruling after hours of discussion late Wednesday.

The committee also said the four are responsible for causing much disappointment from the part’’s supporters and people for not complying with the party’s previous decision.

It referred to a set of reform measures adopted by the left-wing political party to try to reform itself following the primary fraud. The measures called for, among other things, the resignation of all those who ran in the rigged primary.

The four insisted that they be given a chance to tell their side of the story over the primary fraud after the party announces the results of its second probe into the scandal.

Also Thursday, the party said it will refer 16 party members to the disciplinary committee over the violent interruption of the party’s central committee conference meant to discuss the UPP’s future course of action.

The party also said it will call for the expulsion of 13 out the 16 party members for using physical force to interrupt the meeting on May 12.

Last month, the party confirmed after an internal investigation that its primary had been rigged, but its mainstream faction, to which the four belong, has rejected the official probe.

Lee said he cannot understand the party’s hasty decision, noting he has already said that he will take due responsibility for the alleged fraud if its truth is revealed in the results of its second probe.

Lee indicated he would seek unspecified measures against the party’s decision to oust him as he renewed his intention not to voluntarily leave his party. Lee’s office condemned the party’s latest decision as a “political killing.”

Lee and Kim, accused of having been pro-North Korea, would become independent lawmakers if expelled from their party.

Lee and Kim also have become the target of harsh attacks from conservatives, including some major newspapers, due to their past activities sympathizing with North Korea. They allegedly espoused the communist nation’s guiding “juche” philosophy of self-reliance.

The conservative ruling Saenuri Party has pressed the main opposition Democratic United Party to cooperate in removing Lee and Kim from the National Assembly.

An ouster requires two-thirds approval from the 300-member National Assembly. The Saenuri Party and the DUP have 277 seats combined.

Ways to deal with North Korea are a political hot issue in South Korea.

South Korea remains technically at war with North Korea since their 1950-53 war ended in a cease-fire. The North carried out two deadly attacks on the South in 2010, killing 50 soldiers and civilians.

(Yonhap News)