The ruling Saenuri Party finalized its decision to expel former lawmaker Hyun Ki-hwan on Thursday as the leadership and presidential frontrunner Park Geun-hye attempted to prevent “personal corruption” from hurting the party.

The Supreme Council voted unanimously to approve the ethics committee’s proposal to oust Hyun, who is suspected of receiving 300 million won ($264,000) from Rep. Hyun Young-hee in March in return for his support for her parliamentary nomination.

Rep. Hyun also faces expulsion through a general vote on Friday at the earliest.

“(I) will prepare explicit measures for political reform. No exceptions or privileges will be tolerated,” Saenuri presidential frontrunner Park Geun-hye said during a stump speech in Incheon.

The party leadership, worried that the nomination scandal could spill over to the presidential campaign, acted quickly to kick out the two members. The expulsion comes despite the duo’s vehement denial of the allegations, and just 17 days after the prosecution launched its probe.

The cash-for-nomination scandal hit the Saenuri Party hard as it was already struggling with a series of corruption scandals involving several elected lawmakers.

The Busan District Prosecutors’ Office summoned Rep. Hyun to appear on Friday for questioning.

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