Seoul: People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and the party’s interim leader Kwon Young-se clashed again on Friday over a proposed merger of campaigns with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. This development marks the latest internal conflict within the conservative party as they prepare for the upcoming June 3 presidential election.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the dispute arose just before the PPP was set to reveal the results of a two-day opinion poll assessing the favorable ratings between Kim and Han. Kim argued that the leadership’s push for a merger was an attempt to sideline him in favor of an independent candidate as the party’s presidential nominee. He expressed his refusal to accept such a move during a meeting with PPP lawmakers, which he attended for the first time since securing the party’s nomination earlier this month.
Kwon Young-se, in response, conveyed his disappointment at Kim’s stance, emphasizing that a “true leader” should be prepared to sacrifice personal interests for the greater good. The opinion polls, which are a mix of 50 percent party member votes and 50 percent public opinion, are being conducted as Kim, a former labor minister, has insisted that the party leadership cease pressuring him into unifying his candidacy with Han, an independent preliminary presidential candidate.
The tensions within the party are intensifying with the presidential election only 25 days away. Kim and Han’s second round of talks on Thursday to unify their candidacies ended without reaching an agreement. This comes as the June 3 election is set to elect a successor to ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, who faced removal over a failed martial law bid, leaving the PPP divided on their stance regarding Yoon’s ouster.
In light of the ongoing discord, Kim canceled his campaign stops in the southeastern cities of Daegu and Busan, opting instead to focus on strategies in response to the PPP leadership and Han’s merger proposal. The party has been urging Kim to consolidate his campaign with Han since he was chosen as the presidential candidate.
Han has proposed finalizing the merger by May 11 to ensure a unified candidate from the PPP can challenge Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, who is currently leading in opinion polls. Han has stated that he will not enter the presidential race unless an agreement with the PPP is reached regarding the candidacy merger.
Meanwhile, Kim has suggested that he and Han each conduct their campaigns for a week, followed by a televised debate and public opinion polls to determine the party’s candidate for the presidential election.