Rep. Kim Han-gil of the Democratic United Party resigned as supreme councilor Thursday, calling on other leaders to follow suit to clear the deck for its presidential candidate Moon Jae-in’s drive for party renewal.

His departure came as its political reform team was set to propose the resignation of the entire leadership of the party dogged by factional strife. Reform at the party is a key precondition of independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo to agree to ally with Moon.

“As presidential candidate Moon Jae-in promised to break the privileged politics inside the DUP, it is only appropriate for the current leadership to step down by throwing away all the vested rights to help Moon freely lead the reform,” Kim said in a statement.

The decision by the veteran politician came as Moon’s Committee for New Politics under the election committee reportedly decided late Wednesday night that a complete leadership overhaul was necessary. The committee is comprised mostly of external figures.

The need for the leadership’s withdrawal had been a thorny issue at the main opposition party for a while. Chairman Rep. Lee Hae-chan and floor leader Rep. Park Jie-won were criticized by non-mainstream members for allegedly colluding to share the leadership and being biased toward Moon during the primary period.

Observers said it remains to be seen whether Kim’s decision will be followed by others or open a can of worms by exposing the factional conflict.

Extensive political reform is considered crucial for a successful alliance with Ahn. Both Moon and Ahn are determined to win the single candidacy. The two run neck-and-neck in mock two-way matchups by pollsters. 

“Because the DUP missed several times an opportunity to renovate itself, we need to respond to the people’s demand that there must be a fundamental reform,” said Kim Min-young, one of the co-chairs of the election committee and a member of the New Politics Committee, in a radio interview.

“A resignation en-mass or personnel overhaul is something that we need to consider for a fresh new start.”

But Moon indicated resistance to the idea.

“As it involves many realistic problems, I would like more time to handle it,” Moon told reporters on his trip to Gangwon Province in response to such calls.

“The two (Lee and Park) have taken a backseat already. I don’t think they hinder my election committee activities.”

According to the party constitution and regulation, a national convention must be arranged within two months to pick a new leader if eight or more moths are left of the incumbent chairperson’s term. A successor to the floor leader must be chosen at a general meeting within one month. Lee and Park were elected to their posts in June and May, respectively, for a two-year term.

The committee believes a vacancy in the leadership will be sustainable as the party is virtually led by the election committee at the moment.

The leadership, meanwhile, expressed discomfort.

“It is a time to concentrate on winning the election, not on exposing internal strife,” Park said in a statement.

Ahn’s campaign, meanwhile, expressed satisfaction with the DUP’s recent moves.

“The DUP is showing some progress,” said Jeong Yeon-soon, co-spokesman for Ahn in a radio interview.

“The people and political circles must ceaselessly discuss and act on the task of political reform.”

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)