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PPP leadership urges Kim Moon-soo to merge with Han Duck-soo within 5 days

Published: 05 May. 2025, 21:40 Updated: 06 May. 2025, 17:25

LEE SOO-JUNG
[email protected]

Conservative People Power Party interim leader Kwon Young-se speaks during a general meeting at the National Assembly in western Seoul on May 5. [NEWS1]

The conservative People Power Party (PPP) on Monday evening urged presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo to merge his campaign with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo within the next five days to prevent the liberal Democratic Party’s Lee Jae-myung from winning the June 3 election.

During a PPP general meeting held at the National Assembly in western Seoul, PPP interim leader Kwon Young-se asked former Labor Minister Kim to recall his pledge as a candidate that he would be ready to swiftly unite with other candidates throughout his primary activities.

“The party can win in the presidential election only when we field a single and unified candidate within four to five days,” Kwon said. “Otherwise, the country will turn into dictatorship run by Lee Jae-myung and for Lee Jae-myung.”

The rhetoric against liberal candidate Lee appeared to target the DP’s recent drive to impeach Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de who recently delivered a verdict which found Lee guilty in an election violation case.

It appeared that the PPP leadership is publicly pressuring Kim after he was elected in the party's primary as the PPP presidential candidate, though he has been showing a lukewarm attitude toward a merger with independent candidate Han, who announced his bid last Friday.

Kim didn't show up for Monday's general meeting. Han and Kim earlier crossed paths during a Buddha's Birthday ceremony at Jogye Temple earlier that day. Han later said he proposed to meet with Kim.

PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong also called on the party to move toward merging campaigns for "victory," adding that “now is the time to take action to becoming one without delay.”

“All of us sincerely want to be united, and those who object solidarity is a force supporting Lee Jae-myung,” Kweon said. He also cited a recent public poll where 92 percent of PPP supporters endorsed the campaign merger.

Kweon also noted that the party’s primaries showed that there is "no difference between candidates’ stances that Lee Jae-myung’s tyrannical politics should be driven out and Korean [governance] system should be normalized."

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]