South Korean President Kim Dae-jung Thursday announced his resignation from his presidency of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) to end the party's internal strife caused by a failure in by-elections last month.
In a message read at the party's Supreme Council Thursday afternoon, Kim said he resigned because of his responsibility for the declining public confidence in the party and the disappointment felt by party members and supporters after the election.
"I feel enormous pain in my heart on the defeat in the October 25 by-elections in three electorates and subsequent unstable developments inside the party. It's natural for me, as a party leader, to shoulder responsibility for the circumstances that led all council members and party post holders to resign en masse," Kim said in the message.
Kim accepted all the resignations earlier submitted by Council members and other officials, except Chairman Han Kwang-ok's, in hope that the party will make a sweeping reform to recapture power by launching an emergency organization capable of successfully handling major party affairs, including its national congress.
In the message, Kim also said the resignation will allow him to direct more attention to the extremely-tense international situation and the worsening economy in the country after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
Kim said he will focus his energy on successfully holding of major national events next year such as the Korea-Japan World Cup finals, Pusan Asiad and local and presidential elections.
After Kim's announcement of his resignation, rival factions in the party accused each other of causing Kim's decision.
Kim Dae-jung's resignation is expected to further a tug-of-war among the party's presidential hopefuls, who are bidding for the party's nomination for next year's South Korean presidential election.
|