The ruling Grand National Party adopted a new name on Thursday, as part of efforts to shake off its negative image before general elections in April.

The party’s emergency leadership council chose “Saenuri,” Korean for “new world,” said spokesman Rep. Hwang Young-cheul.

The name was chosen from among 9,211 suggestions submitted by party members and citizens over the past week.

“The new name indicates an aspired new world, in which people may overcome conflicts and unite as one,” Hwang said.

The change will be made official once confirmed by the party’s national committee meeting next week.

The English version and other details, such as the party logo and color, are also to be confirmed by then, he added.

This is the first name change for the party since its launch in 1997 through a party merger. The change came amid public calls to reform the party fundamentally.

Rep. Park Geun-hye, the party’s interim leader and presidential hopeful, acknowledged last month the necessity of changing the party’s name in a move to compromise with reformers who demanded that the party disband and restart as a new organization.

“Now that we have chosen a new title, our next task is to measure up to the people’s expectations and the content of that new name,” Park said.

“We must all try to gain the people’s support and trust, for a political party may not survive without them.”

The GNP also geared up the candidate selection for the April general elections by confirming its 10-member screening committee, despite the controversy over a member who dropped out.

Civic group figure Jin Young-ah formerly claimed to have no political background but was found out, shortly after being appointed, to have applied to be one of the party’s proportional representatives.

She also served as a spokeswoman in a pro-Lee Myung-bak union.

Park, however, confirmed that the candidate screening process would take place as planned.

“Jin stepped down for the sake of the party and the issue no longer needs to be discussed,” she told reporters Thursday.

The party also confirmed its scheduled merger with the conservative minority Future Hope Alliance, the former Pro-Park Alliance.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)