The main opposition Democratic Party(DP) has elected three-term Rep. Park Kwang-on as its new floor leader.

Park, a representative of Gyeonggi Province's Suwon-D district, won a majority of votes by the DP’s 169 lawmakers during the party’s assembly on Friday.

Park defeated three-term Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo, three-term Rep. Park Beom-kye and two-term Rep. Kim Du-kwan without requiring a runoff, although the results remain sealed.

Widely regarded as a member of a faction close to former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, Park previously served as a Supreme Council member and chaired the parliamentary committees on legislation and the judiciary, as well as science, ICT, broadcasting and communications.

The new floor leader will be tasked with preparing the party for next year's general elections as the DP wrangles with the latest illegal political fund scandal surrounding a number of its party members.