The opposition Democratic Party said on Friday it will slim down the central party organ and relocate to a smaller building in what it called the start of reform.

Chairman Kim Han-gil said the party will reduce the number of staff at its central headquarters from the current 160 to around 100.

It will also dispose of the current building in southern Seoul by August and move into one 10 times smaller, he said.

“We will normalize this inappropriately bloated central party system,” he said in a news conference.

“By decentralizing the party system, we will delegate powers, currently concentrated in the central headquarters and leadership, to its members,” he added.

It is the first major reform plan since Kim was elected in early May. He has pledges to build a competent and accountable opposition party and carry out a sweeping overhaul of the party plagued by factionalism and lackluster public support.

Previously known as the Democratic United Party, the party changed its name just before the leadership election.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)