PPP presidential candidate Kim to meet ex-PM Wednesday for talks on candidacy merger

Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, left, is seen with People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, right, at a Buddha's Birthday ceremony at Jogye Temple in Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), is set to meet former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, a conservative contender running as an independent, on Wednesday evening for talks over a single candidacy, his aides announced on Tuesday night.

The one-on-one meeting follows a power struggle between Kim and his party leadership over when and how to unify the candidacy, with just days left before the official candidate registration this weekend.

Kim, a former labor minister, was selected as the PPP’s candidate in Saturday’s party primary, just one day after Han announced his presidential bid.

Although not a member of the PPP, Han — who was prime minister until his resignation last week and served as acting president during a time of political turmoil following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration and impeachment — has emerged as a strong figure among conservative voters.

Throughout the primary, Kim expressed his willingness to merge his candidacy with Han’s, a stance widely believed to have helped him secure victory. In his acceptance speech, Kim said he would “hold hands with any power” if it meant defeating liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung — a remark broadly interpreted as signaling openness to a unified candidacy.

But Kim’s tone has changed somewhat since then.

He has voiced frustration over what he sees as the party leadership’s move to sideline him and use his primary win as a stepping stone to ultimately nominate Han.

“The party promised active support for me, but it has continued making unilateral decisions, refusing to recognize me as the party’s official presidential nominee,” Kim said in a statement Tuesday.

He also slammed the party’s decision to convene a national committee meeting later this week without disclosing its agenda — a move he speculated as a backdoor attempt to revise party rules and pave the way for Han’s nomination.

Kim’s comments came after party leaders reportedly urged him to strike a unification deal with Han after the primary. This is said to have irritated Kim, who insists he should be leading the talks as the elected candidate.

Kwon Young-se, right, interim leader of the People Power Party, looks at his watch during a party meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

On Monday night, the PPP launched its official election committee, accepting many of Kim’s demands on personnel picks. It also scheduled a national convention for this weekend, widely seen as a move to endorse a single candidate once a merger deal is finalized.

Still, tensions remain unresolved, as party leaders increased pressure on Kim to finalize the unification before Saturday. The PPP also announced it would conduct an internal survey of all members on Wednesday to gauge support for the proposed merger.

"Party members and the public chose Kim because they trusted his clear promises that he would pursue unification and meet Han first," Kwon Young-se, the party’s interim leader, said during an emergency meeting Tuesday.

"If he breaks that promise, it would be a betrayal of our members and the people," Kwon said.

Despite the stalled talks, Han expressed confidence that unification would be achieved "at the right time."

"I have never thought that unification would fail. I firmly believe that it will happen within the appropriate time," he said during a forum hosted by the Kwanhun Club, an association of senior journalists.

Later in the day, Kwon, PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong and Han planned to travel to Daegu to meet Kim, who was campaigning in the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province.

However, Kim halted his campaign activities abruptly and returned to Seoul in an apparent protest, accusing the party leadership of trying to "bring him down."

He then announced in the night that he and Han agreed to hold a one-on-one meeting Wednesday evening to discuss the single candidacy.

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo gives a thumbs-up during his visit to a traditional market in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday. Yonhap

Political observers say whether the two candidates can reach a deal before the registration deadline on Sunday will determine the conservative party’s fate in the election.

"Of course, Kim is technically the PPP’s legitimate nominee, but he has little influence over party affairs. If the merger doesn’t happen this week, it could be disastrous for the conservative bloc," political commentator Park Sang-byeong said.

"Without unification, Kim would run as the PPP’s candidate with little backing from his own party. As for Han, he would struggle to raise campaign funds and gain media attention as an independent candidate, which may eventually force him to drop out."