PPP faces showdown over candidate nomination

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, center, leaves in protest during the party’s general assembly meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Friday, after interim leader Kwon Young-se urged him to unite his candidacy with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Yonhap

A heated confrontation erupted on Friday between Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), and the party's leadership during its general assembly, just hours before it was set to announce the results of a crucial preference poll.

The meeting, intended to be Kim’s first full appearance before PPP lawmakers since securing the nomination, quickly descended into chaos when Kim publicly condemned the party leadership’s efforts to unite with independent candidate Han Duck-soo as “illegal and unjust.” He accused party officials of using “every improper means” to oust him and replace him with a candidate who “has never even joined the party.”

Lawmakers responded with visible frustration, some shouting, as Kim left the assembly abruptly after his speech.

“Why did you come just to talk at us and walk out?” one member yelled, while others tried to block his exit. PPP interim chief Kwon Young-se, who had earlier welcomed Kim with applause and a bouquet, declared himself to be “deeply disappointed” and exited the session early.

People Power Party floor leader Kweon Seong-dong, left, tries to stop presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, right, from leaving in protest during the party’s general assembly at the National Assembly in Seoul on Friday, after interim leader Kwon Young-se called on Kim to unify his candidacy with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Yonhap

The confrontation occurred ahead of the PPP’s planned announcement of a preference poll — weighted equally between party members and public respondents — that could determine whether Kim or Han will be the conservative candidate in the June 3 presidential election.

Party officials say the result will serve as a pivotal moment in the conservative bloc’s effort to consolidate support and avoid splitting the vote against Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jae-myung.

However, with Kim filing an injunction Thursday to confirm his candidacy and halt what he calls a “forced unification,” the final outcome could depend as much on the court’s ruling as on the poll results.

According to party insiders, the PPP leadership plans to finalize its candidate by Sunday, the deadline for presidential registration. That process, however, could be disrupted depending on how the Seoul Southern District Court rules on Kim’s request. If granted, the party’s national committee meeting could be invalidated, effectively blocking Han’s nomination.

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo meets with independent presidential preliminary candidate Han Duk-soo at a coffee shop in the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

But in a ruling issued Friday evening, the Seoul Southern District Court dismissed both Kim's injunction to affirm his candidacy and a separate motion filed by his supporters to block the party's national convention. The decision clears the way for the PPP to proceed with its leadership's plan to finalize a nominee this weekend.

Adding to the uncertainty, the National Election Commission notified the PPP on Friday that the results of its candidate suitability poll between Kim and Han cannot be made public under election law.

Citing Article 108 of the Public Official Election Act, the commission ruled that disclosing any part of the survey — including rankings or percentage scores — would violate restrictions on party-conducted polls during the campaign period.

The legal dispute centers on Article 74-2 of the PPP's constitution, which allows leadership to modify nomination rules under exceptional circumstances. Kim’s aides argue the clause was not intended to authorize replacing a nominee selected through a party convention. Han’s supporters counter that winning the election is reason enough to justify such a decision.

While tensions escalated within the party, Han intensified his public campaign, warning that he would not register if unification is not reached by Sunday. At a campaign stop in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, he accused Kim of breaking repeated promises to unify and claimed he was endangering the conservative cause.

Kim, for his part, argued that Han has never outperformed Lee in a head-to-head poll, while he has. “What’s the point of unification if it means replacing a legitimate nominee with someone less competitive?” he asked. He also criticized the party leadership for pushing aggressively to unite behind Han Duck-soo — an independent candidate — despite Kim having been officially nominated through a party primary.

The PPP is scheduled to hold a national committee meeting on Sunday to confirm its candidate, depending on the poll outcome and court decision.

Meanwhile, Kim laid out a hardline national security agenda on Friday, pledging to consider redeploying U.S. tactical nuclear weapons, developing nuclear-powered submarines and revising nuclear cooperation agreements with the United States to strengthen Korea’s deterrence posture.