SEOUL: South Korea's ruling party is on verge of a split following President Park Geun-hye's parliamentary impeachment last week.

Senior anti-Park lawmaker Kim Moo-sung on Tuesday called Park loyalists her "political slaves" in an escalation of rhetoric between rival factions in the Saenuri Party.

He says he's considering leaving the party to create a new political group.

The feuding has intensified after dozens of Saenuri Party lawmakers voted for Park's impeachment because of the scandal involving her longtime, shadowy confidante.

Park's presidency will formally end if the Constitutional Court approves the impeachment. That would lead to an election to pick her successor.

If that happens, then the anti-Park lawmakers could try to align with outgoing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, one of front-runners in opinion surveys to replace Park.