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Merger push becomes legal battle as Kim Moon-soo challenges Han in court

Published: 08 May. 2025, 19:23 Updated: 08 May. 2025, 19:28

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

People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo filed for an injunction on Thursday to block the party from bestowing candidate status on another person, escalating the dispute over a potential unification with independent candidate Han Duck-soo into a legal battle.

A hearing took place at the Seoul Southern District Court at 2:30 p.m. on the same day to review the injunction application that Kim and eight PPP out-of-parliament chapter leaders filed.

On the previous day, PPP officials supporting Kim had filed for an injunction to block the party’s plans to convene a national committee and a party congress.

Then on Thursday morning, Kim applied for an additional injunction that would prohibit the party from assigning presidential candidate status to another individual, granting him the official status. Given the similarity between the legal claims, the court held a combined hearing.

“Even though Kim holds the status of presidential candidate, if the party refuses to give him the nomination seal or official endorsement, he cannot register as a candidate,” said Jang Yeong-ha, Kim’s lawyer. “This injunction is meant to secure that authority.”

Jang added that “a presidential nominee has already been confirmed. For the party to push through a unilateral unification via a public-opinion poll, without Kim’s consent, violates his exclusive authority over party affairs — an entitlement granted to the nominee through Election Day.”

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo delivers a keynote speech at the Korea Press Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on the morning of May 8. [JOONGANG ILBO]

The court responded skeptically, questioning the legal merit of granting such candidate status, saying that “since the presidential candidate is ultimately confirmed through a national convention, it’s unclear what legal benefit there is in officially assigning that status through the court.”

Kim’s hearing concluded in about seven minutes. PPP representatives said they had not had time to review the new filings, which had been submitted that morning, and asked to submit their response in writing. The court ordered that all materials be submitted by 11 a.m. on Friday.

The court then proceeded with a separate hearing on the injunction application filed the day prior, which sought to block the convening of the PPP’s national committee and party congress. Eight out-of-parliament district leaders backing Kim argued that the party’s planned events — the national committee on Thursday and Friday and the party congress on Saturday and Sunday — would “undermine Kim’s democratic legitimacy and threaten his candidacy.”

During the hearing, Kim’s supporters claimed that the events, while ostensibly aimed at unifying Kim with Han, were “in fact orchestrated by the party leadership to strip Kim of his status.”

“The party is preparing a flower palanquin to carry Han into the position,” one official said. “There are no party rules that allow for a candidate to be overturned like this. It’s not only against the party’s constitution and regulations — it’s unconstitutional.”

In response, the PPP argued that Kim’s initial stance has always been to pursue unification.

“From the beginning of the primary, Kim repeatedly mentioned Han’s name and strongly supported unification, which helped him secure support and win the nomination. He should have begun the unification process immediately but failed to do so.”

They added that the party leadership had “never pressured” Kim to unify with Han. “The claim that the leadership forced unification was made by Kim’s side, not ours.”

People Power Party (PPP) floor leader Kweon Seong-dong, center, along with lawmakers Kim Gi-hyeon, right, and Park Duk-hyum, read a statement from PPP presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo while waiting outside Kim’s residence in Bongcheon-dong, Gwanak District, southern Seoul, on the night of May 6, in an effort to persuade him to unify the candidacy. [JOONGANG ILBO]

The procedure used to convene the party congress and national committee also became a point of contention.

Kim’s camp argued that delegates should have been appointed at least 14 days prior to the party congress, as required by party regulations. The PPP said that it was consulting with the election committee to “ensure procedural compliance, including adjustments related to term extensions.”

The outcome of the hearing is likely to determine whether the internal feud over candidate unification between Kim and Han subsides. On Thursday morning, Kim proposed holding a televised debate next Wednesday, followed by opinion polls on May 15 and 16, to determine a unified candidate.

But PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong dismissed the suggestion.

“Kim is clinging to a meaningless presidential candidacy and ignoring the will of the party members,” he said.

Kim has suspended all campaign activities since Tuesday in protest of the party’s moves.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE CHAN-KYU [[email protected]]