S. Korean party leaders to quit after loss

SEOUL, April 28 (UPI) -- The chairman and other South Korean ruling party leaders said Thursday they would quit after losing two of the three contested races in an off-year election.

The centrist opposition Democratic Party won the two contests in what analysts called a boon for opposition leader and potential presidential candidate Sohn Hak-kyu ahead of next year's general elections and presidential vote.

"We feel great responsibility and will accept the stern voice from the people," Grand National Party Chairman Ahn Sang-soo said at a meeting of the party's six-member Supreme Council. "We will form an emergency committee next week, and all of the members of the Supreme Council agreed to resign."

President Lee Myung-bak told his staff Thursday to accept the results "gravely" -- and said "the government and the ruling party should take it as an opportunity to get themselves reborn" -- but announced no policy changes.

Lee spokesman Hong Sang-pyo said Lee might change his Cabinet but set no date for such a change.

Sohn said the opposition must "change the government next year," aligning with "other opposition parties and democratic reform forces," to help "working-class, ordinary people," South Korea's publicly funded Yonhap News Agency reported.