Seoul: The top leadership members of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party announced their resignations Sunday amid intensifying scrutiny over the party's handling of sexual misconduct cases. Acting leader Kim Sun-min made the announcement, days after party spokesperson Kang Mi-jeong criticized the party's response to handling "sexual harassment, sexual assault and bullying cases" as she quit in protest.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim stated at a news conference, "To ensure punishment without leniency (against the perpetrators) and full recovery (of the victims), all the members of the supreme council and I will resign," taking responsibility for failing to properly address the cases. In April, a senior official was sued on charges of sexually assaulting a colleague, while another official faced accusations of sexual harassment and workplace bullying. The party subsequently expelled the former official and suspended the latter's membership for one year.

Kim had previously issued an apology on Friday following Kang's public criticism, pledging to "make every effort until full recovery for the victims is achieved." With the resignations, a party official noted that the Rebuilding Korea Party is expected to operate under an emergency leadership system.