Cho Kuk, leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, stepped down from his post to take responsibility for the party's election results after losing in the Pyeongtaek-B constituency in the June 3 by-elections. The resignation came about six months after he was elected party leader last November.
"In this election, I failed to open a new path of hope before the party comrades who devoted themselves in the name of the Rebuilding Korea Party," Cho said through his social networking service (SNS) on Wednesday. "It is all due to my shortcomings."
"I am pausing for now, but my party comrades should move straight ahead with confidence," he said. "Please make the DNA of the Rebuilding Korea Party stronger and more solid together with the new leadership."
"While internal debate and division within the broader democratic camp are expected as a result of the June 3 election, the fact that the Rebuilding Korea Party is the third-largest progressive reform party in the National Assembly with 12 seats remains unchanged," he added. "Please put a firm period on prosecution reform and walk the path of grand social reform without wavering."
He also expressed his intention to continue his role as a party member even after stepping down as leader. "There is no rule that says you abandon a war just because you lost one battle," Cho said. "I will reflect on myself, temper myself, and prepare for what comes next."
