The resignation of three members of the ruling Grand National Party’s top decision-making body on Wednesday struck a blow to the party’s leadership and chairman Rep. Hong Joon-pyo.

Reps. Yoo Seong-min, Won Hee-ryong and Nam Kyung-pil resigned as Supreme Council members in an attempt to rescue the party’s credibility in the wake of a recent cyber attack scandal.

Though Rep. Hong refused to step down immediately, observers say that his leadership has effectively collapsed and should be replaced by the party’s former chairwoman Rep. Park Geun-hye.

Park, the party’s top presidential hopeful, has so far insisted that policy reforms must precede personnel reshuffles, in effect supporting Rep. Hong’s chairmanship.

Resuming her former post would significantly affect Park’s presidential plans.

She was, however, facing pressure to take action.

“After the DDoS scandal, Rep. Park expressed her alarm over the party crisis,” said one of her close aides.

Against this backdrop, Park is expected to soon clarify her position on the party leadership, the aide said.

The party remains split over whether Park should take the post or set up an emergency committee to substitute as the top-decision making body until the election of a new leader.

The pro-Lee Myung-bak faction argues that the GNP should disband and be rebranded as a new political party, instead of discussing a leadership reshuffle under the current system.

“The GNP should break up as to show its sincere repentance to the people and start anew as a reformist conservative party,” said Rep. Won, announcing his resignation.

As supporters of a new party mostly have close ties with pro-Lee presidential potentials such as Kim Moon-soo and Chung Mong-joon, their moves are seen as an attempt to reorganize the party’s power structure in their favor.

The GNP has long been struggling to regain falling support which has led to a series of election defeats.

The defeat of its candidate Na Kyung-won to liberal civic candidate Park Won-soon in the Oct. 26 Seoul mayoral by-election was regarded as a barometer of next year’s general and presidential races.

The ruling party faced more turmoil after an aide to one of its lawmakers was recently alleged to have led a cyber attack on the National Election Commission during the by-election.

The episode has triggered sharp criticism from the public and a strong political offensive from the main opposition Democratic Party, which accused the GNP of masterminding the entire plot.

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