The main opposition Democratic Party(DP) has appointed Korea University Professor Emeritus Im Hyuk-baek to head its nomination committee for April's general elections.

DP spokesperson Kang Sun-woo said on Friday that the party Supreme Council named Im to chair the nomination panel with anticipation that he will fulfill his duties in a transparent and fair manner.

The opposition also expects Im to help the party spearhead change and win in the elections, citing his participation in the nation's political history and theorization of domestic politics.

The appointment of someone outside the DP to take charge of nominations is considered an attempt to quell escalating conflict between members belonging to a faction close to party chief Lee Jae-myung and those outside the faction.