South Korea’s ruling Saenuri Party is seen upping pressure on President Park Geun-hye to leave the party as part of its efforts to renew the embattled group ahead of the next presidential election. 

The conservative party‘s interim leader In Myung-jin confirmed Tuesday that the party leadership recently met with presidential chief of staff Han Gwang-ok to reinforce their stance on Park’s position. 

“We did deliver our party’s principle that ... we will not expel the president ourselves,” the party’s interim leader Chung Woo-taik said Tuesday.

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said it would decide on the time for Park’s secession, Chung said, adding he does not know when it would be, or whether the president would actually leave the party. 

Park was impeached by the National Assembly on Dec. 9 over suspicions she allowed her confidante Choi Soon-sil to meddle in state affairs and colluded with her to extort large funds from conglomerates. Park awaits the Constitutional Court’s ruling on her impeachment, which is largely expected to come out before March 13. 

As Park’s scandal broke out last October, the ruling Saenuri Party suffered a serious factional feud between the party leadership loyal to Park and its dissenters, which eventually led to the party’s breakup. Some 30 lawmakers left the party to create the Bareun Party in January. 

The conservative bloc saw a fall in their approval ratings as well, as they were seen as sharing responsibility for Park’s scandal. In the latest poll released by local pollster Research and Research on Monday, the party posted an approval rating of 9.6 percent, while the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea stood at 37.9 percent. 

In a move to salvage the embattled party, the Saenuri leadership recently suspended the membership of three Park loyalists for up to three years. But the party leader decided to keep the president a party member, prompting pushback from anti-Park lawmakers and the Bareun Party.

“There are still a lot of deep-rooted evils in the party which need to be cleansed out. I will continue to work on the party’s comprehensive overhaul,” In said in a party meeting Monday. 

The ruling party is currently discussing changing the party name.  

In the wake of an earlier-than-expected presidential election, the party is hurrying to encourage its members to run in the election, while hoping for acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn to run in the presidential race. 

Hwang stood at 10 percent support in the latest poll by Research and Research, placing third in the list of contenders. Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party is leading the pack with 28.7 percent in the same poll, which surveyed 1,012 citizens.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)