Ruling party policy chief steps down amid internal rift

People Power Party policy chief Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig, left, talks to People Power Party Floor Leader Rep. Choo Kyung-ho during a parliamentary plenary session held Thursday afternoon at the National Assembly in western Seoul. (Yonhap)

People Power Party Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig, who is considered part of pro-Yoon Suk Yeol faction within the party, announced his resignation from his post as the party's policy chief, or a member of the party's supreme council, on Thursday.

Jeong, in a surprise press conference held in the afternoon, said that he had decided to do so to prevent a further "split" in the ruling party. He added that current People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon requested him to resign.

"It was not a spur-of-the-moment decision," Jeong said during the conference.

"It was 2 p.m. (on Wednesday) that I received the request from the party chair regarding my resignation. I have come to a decision that it would be right for me to step down to prevent a split within the party," he added.

Han, who won the top spot at the party convention on July 23, has the authority to replace Jeong, who is currently one of the nine members of the party's supreme council.

Jeong's resignation will likely allow Han to tighten his grip on the party's supreme council, as he has at least two allies -- Reps. Jang Dong-hyuk and Jin Jong-oh -- elected last week as members of the party's decision-making body.

Before Jeong's resignation, an internal feud erupted between the pro-Yoon faction and supporters of the recently elected Han.

Yoon and Han held a closed-door meeting on Tuesday where the current president told the ruling party leader to make his political allies.

By Jung Min-kyung(mkjung@heraldcorp.com)