President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday urged the incoming party leadership to end factional divides and regain the public’s trust, also reiterating her support for an advanced U.S. antimissile defense system for the second consecutive day.

“Issues that involve the safety of the nation and of the people may not be subject to political strife,” she said in her opening speech for the ruling conservative Saenuri Party’s national convention held at the Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium.

The ruling party’s national convention was its first since this year’s April 13 general election and its fourth since the name change from Grand National Party to the current Saenuri Party in February 2012. The day’s events included an internal election to select a new chairman and a Supreme Council that will lead the party into the presidential election in December 2017.

After pointing out the infighting in political circles, Park used the floor to once again advocate for the planned deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system, which Washington and Seoul jointly chose as a countermeasure to North Korea’s growing military provocations.

“The disputed THAAD installment is a minimal defense measure to safeguard the survival of the nation and of the people, as well as an inevitable one to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,” she said.

The state leader also urged her home party to regain its status as the nation’s leading conservative political camp.

“Throughout Korea’s thorny history, the Saenuri Party has successfully guarded the value of development and national security. We should now revive such values,” Park said.

And the role of the incoming leadership, according to the president, is to end the ongoing divides and help the nation stand firm.

“We have a history of regaining public trust and renewing the party amid difficult times,” she said.

“To achieve such political changes is the mission bestowed upon the Saenuri.”

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)