An unlikely debate has ensued in the ruling Saenuri Party this week over the use of a framed picture of President Park Geun-hye by the party’s former members running in the April general election.

The party’s Daegu district sect has demanded the defectors running as independents in the constituency return the framed pictures of the president hanging on their office walls, saying they belong to the party.

All of the four, including former Saenuri whip Rep. Yoo Seong-min, refused, with some saying they plan to return to the party eventually and others retorting that they would replace them even if they were taken.

Behind the tit-for-tat behavior is the significance of Park in the southern city, a political stronghold of the conservative party and the president’s hometown. Although her approval ratings dropped by 14 percentage points last week over the ruling party’s nomination debacle, according to pollster Realmeter, she has enjoyed strong ratings of nearly 70 percent in Daegu in various opinion polls.

“It is completely inconsistent for (the defectors) to leave the party after going against the president and then treat the esteemed portrait (of the president) as if it is their treasure,” said Cheong Chong-sup, a former interior minister running in the Donggu-gap constituency in Daegu.

Rep. Yoo said he plans to keep the picture and that it has been in his office for a “long time,” and would remain that way.

Critics claimed Yoo is attempting to take advantage of whatever affiliation he has left with the president to win in the April 13 race.

As the controversy persists, the National Election Commission’s Daegu division has said they will review whether the independent candidates’ usage of the picture goes against relevant laws. They added that they may not have jurisdiction in deciding whether it is lawful.

Officials from Saenuri’s Daegu office said the framed pictures were purchased by the party and distributed to member lawmakers in July 2013. Therefore the items are owned by the party. Earlier this week, they sent officials letters requesting the pictures be handed back to the former members. Saenuri defectors running in Daegu include Reps. Joo Ho-young, Kwon Eun-hee and Yoo Sung-kull

The party leadership, for their part, urged the Daegu office not to make a big scene, in apparent fear of public backlash amid the party’s faltering popularity after weeks of nomination feuds that led to defections.

“It is deemed (by the party leadership) that this controversy will not help the election as a whole,” said spokesman Ahn Hyeong-hwan of the party’s central election committee.

Cheong Wa Dae has also kept its distance from the debate.

“There is nothing to comment on,” said presidential spokesman Jeong Yeon-guk.

(khnews@heraldcorp.com)