The ruling Saenuri Party said Thursday that it has expelled its former lawmaker Hyun Ki-hwan for being allegedly implicated in a money-for-nomination scandal ahead of April's parliamentary election.

The decision reached by the party's nine-member Supreme Council comes after the central ethics committee rejected an appeal request made by Hyun on Tuesday. The move is also aimed at reducing the fallout of the bribery scandal that has tarnished the party's image and undermined support for its top presidential hopeful Rep. Park Geun-hye, who was Saenuri's interim head when the purported exchange of money took place.

Hyun was a member of an in-house party panel responsible for nominating proportional candidates and has been accused of receiving 300 million won (US$265,000) from Rep. Hyun Young-hee.

An aide to Rep. Hyun claimed that the money was sent via Cho Ki-moon, a former Saenuri official of the party's Busan chapter, who acted as a middleman in the transaction.

Cho was taken into custody late Monday, with state prosecutors trying to find evidence related to the money transfer.

Both Hyuns, who are not related despite a shared last name, have consistently denied the allegations raised, while Cho claimed he only received 5 million won. The ruling party also stressed that the move to expel Hyun does not mean the leadership had proof that the former lawmaker received money from Rep. Hyun.

"Hyun was expelled for seriously hurting the dignity of the party," it said.

Saenuri's top decision-making council said it has also approved the expulsion of Rep. Hyun, although this process requires approval from the party's 149 lawmakers.

"A general meeting of lawmakers will be convened as soon as possible to handle the matter," a party spokesman said. The party has not set a definitive date for the meeting, although it could take place as early as Friday. If this is not possible, the lawmakers meeting will be called after Monday, when Saenuri picks its new presidential contender for the Dec. 19 race.

Under party rules, a member can be ejected by a majority vote of the Supreme Council, but in the case of an incumbent lawmaker, the action requires two-thirds support from Saenuri lawmakers. Even if the lawmaker is expelled, she will be able to hold onto her parliamentary seat as an independent.

Related to the scandal, state prosecutors said they plan to summon Rep. Hyun for questioning on Friday. She is expected to be questioned as a key suspect in the bribery scandal, a sign that investigators have unearthed clues that could lead to criminal charges being filed, sources said. There have been reports that the lawmaker may have made a concerted effort to lobby other Saenuri officials besides Hyun.

The party won 152 seats out of 300 seats up for grabs in the April 11 general election. It has subsequently lost two of its lawmakers due to personal scandals, while Rep. Kang Chang-hee gave up his party member status when he became National Assembly speaker.

A Saenuri insider, meanwhile, said that Park is expected to formally tackle the scandal that could become a festering wound for the politician down the road.

The five-term lawmaker hinted during a meeting with reporters earlier in the day, that she will follow the advice of the party on whether or not to make a public apology.

"There can be no compromise when it comes to fighting corruption and in particular those involving people in power," she stressed. Party sources said Park may push forward sweeping political reform measures that can deal more decisively with corruption. (Yonhap News)