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PPP set to select presidential candidate for June election

Published: 03 May. 2025, 11:24

Former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, left, and former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, pose for a photo ahead of a TV debate session held in Seoul on April 30. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The conservative People Power Party (PPP) is set to select its final candidate for the June presidential election at a party convention Saturday, with the nominee facing Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung.

Former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo and former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon are vying to become the party's nominee to run in the June 3 race, which determines the successor to former President Yoon Suk Yeol who was impeached over his failed martial law bid.

The PPP will select its candidate based on a combination of an electorate vote and public opinion polling conducted between Thursday and Friday, with the results expected around 4 p.m.

Kim has gained momentum within the conservative base after refusing to apologize for Yoon's martial law decree in December and opposing his impeachment. In contrast, Han Dong-hoon publicly denounced the decree and supported Yoon's removal from office.

Even with the PPP's nomination, the race may not be settled.

On Friday, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo declared his presidential bid, in a move expected to eventually seek a merger of campaigns with the candidate of the conservative party.

The former prime minister Han, who served as acting president after Yoon's impeachment, has shown higher approval ratings than the PPP contenders in recent opinion polls.

So far, the former prime minister has not been affiliated with any political party, but he is widely expected to coordinate with the PPP nominee to unify the conservative vote against the DP's Lee, who is currently leading public opinion polls.

Kim expressed openness to unifying the conservative candidacy with Han Duck-soo, while Han Dong-hoon has criticized the former prime minister for attempting to enter the race without going through the party's primary process.

Yonhap