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Han Duck-soo takes swipe at Kim Moon-soo for backtracking on merger

Published: 08 May. 2025, 18:06 Updated: 08 May. 2025, 18:53

Independent presidential candidate Han Duck-soo, center, visits the birthplace of former President Park Chung Hee in Gumi, North Gyeongsang, on May 8. [NEWS1]

Independent presidential contender Han Duck-soo launched a blistering attack on People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo on Thursday, calling him an “outdated politician,” just a day after the two met over dinner in Jongno District, central Seoul, to discuss a potential unification of their campaigns.

At the dinner, Han was initially cordial, telling Kim, “You must be having a hard time,” and “You’ve been in politics for a long time, so you must be quite used to this.” But his tone changed dramatically the following morning.

Speaking to reporters at 10:20 a.m. after visiting the birthplace of former President Park Chung Hee in Gumi, North Gyeongsang, Han said, “Unifying the candidacies is absolutely necessary. But Kim Moon-soo came to the meeting without offering a single alternative.”

Han continued, “Kim said, ‘I’m the party leader. Why can’t I do this my way?’ — but that’s a trivial and completely irrelevant argument,” adding, “He was discussing his own discomfort when this is about the nation's future and the people’s lives. That’s the kind of behavior you’d expect from an outdated politician.”

Han said that Kim had repeatedly pledged to form a unified candidacy with him during the presidential primaries. “I will urge him to keep his promise,” Han said. “Breaking that promise is a disservice to those who care about Korea’s future.”

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, left, tries out his seat at his campaign office in the party’s headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul, on May 8, guided by chief of staff Kim Jae-won. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Han also expressed displeasure over Kim’s comments to the press after their dinner, in which Kim questioned why Han had entered the race despite having no intention of registering as a candidate. “That’s just basic discourtesy,” Han said.

Earlier that day at 8:40 a.m., Kim had held a press conference where he effectively rejected Han’s proposal. Kim suggested the candidates campaign for another week, hold a televised debate on May 14, and then decide on unification based on public opinion polls on May 15 and 16.

Han’s camp dismissed the proposal, with one official stating, “Kim’s offer is essentially a way to avoid unification.”

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, left, and independent candidate Han Duck-soo [JOONGANG ILBO]

Han had previously said he would not register as a final candidate if unification talks with Kim failed.

Following his remarks, Han visited a memorial hall near Park’s birthplace, where he paid tribute to former President Park and his wife Yuk Young-soo.

“President Park laid the groundwork for Korea to rise from one of the world’s poorest nations to a top 10 economy,” Han said. In the guest book, he wrote, “The president who set Korea’s economic miracle in motion, the first president I served — I will forever remember and honor your vision.”

Turning his attention to liberal Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, Han criticized his shifting policy positions.

Han Duck-soo, left, independent presidential candidate, shakes hands with Kim Moon-soo, presidential candidate for the conservative People Power Party in a restaurant in Jongno District, central Seoul, on May 7. [YONHAP]

“There are politicians and parties who talk about policies carelessly,” Han said. “They abandon national interests for the sake of votes, changing their words from one day to the next. President Park would have never allowed that. That’s the kind of leadership this country needs.”

Han also appeared more engaged with the public than usual. He greeted supporters enthusiastically and made efforts to connect with voters directly. Aware of his reputation for avoiding the press, Han said, “I will stand before you and make it clear what's true and what's not, following my meeting with Kim Moon-soo.”

Han’s campaign later issued a statement claiming Kim had publicly committed to a unified ticket with Han “at least 22 times” during the primaries.

Tensions continued into the afternoon regarding their second meeting, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Kim had unilaterally announced the time to reporters after a forum earlier that morning. In response, Han’s camp released a written statement saying, “Kim informed reporters without any prior communication. Whether it's 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m., midnight or dawn — we’ll go anywhere at any time, even if we only find out through breaking news.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK TAE-IN,JANG SEO-YUN [[email protected]]