바른정당 13명 의원 탈당키로, 대선후보 유승민 '단일화 생각 없다'
A major shakeup among the two main conservative candidates ... with just a week to go until election day.
Thirteen lawmakers from the splinter Bareun Party have *left to support the nominee of the rival Liberty Korea Party, Hong Joon-pyo.
Some Bareun Party lawmakers have been demanding that their nominee, Yoo Seong-min, withdraw or merge his candidacy with others trailing in the polls to mount a serious challenge to frontrunner Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea.
Yoo Seong-min's support ratings have been stuck in the low single digits, but he says he will finish the race.
Hong Joon-pyo, meanwhile has risen quickly in the polls and is now in a virtual tie for second -- though still far behind the frontrunner.
The defection of those lawmakers means the Bareun Party is down from 32 to 19 seats in parliament... and by law is no longer considered a negotiating bloc on its own.
