Reform Party presidential nominee declares opposition to candidacy merger

Reform Party's presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate of the minor conservative Reform Party, has made it clear that he will not unify his candidacy with that of Kim Moon-soo of the major conservative People Power Party (PPP).

His declaration comes amid growing calls from the PPP for the conservative candidates to unify — a move that could alter the course of the presidential election, which liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jae-myung has been solidly leading.

However, as the PPP's proposition essentially means fielding Kim as the single conservative candidate, the Reform Party candidate has consistently refused the call, saying he will stay in the race.

"Lee Jun-seok and the Reform Party will will fight to the end,” Lee said during a press conference at the National Assembly on Thursday evening. “On the ballot, the name 'Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party, No. 4' will be clearly visible."

The PPP has pinned its hopes on a last-minute alliance between Kim and Lee Jun-seok, as recent polling numbers suggest a combined conservative ticket could pose a viable challenge to Lee Jae-myung.

During a debate earlier this week, Kim expressed optimism about the prospects for unifying behind a single candidate.

“I believe that in the end, Lee Jun-seok and I will unite, and I expect it will go well,” he said.

PPP interim leader Kim Yong-tae echoed that sentiment. “I understand that both Lee of the Reform Party and I are weighing various possibilities within a broader framework,” he said.

Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok answers questions from the press at Inha University in Incheon, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

However, Lee Jun-seok’s Thursday announcement has only reaffirmed his commitment to stay in the race until the end.

Following a one-on-one meeting Wednesday with PPP co-campaign chair Ahn Cheol-soo, Lee told reporters that he is not considering a candidacy merger, saying he's focused on "strategies to win, not on political engineering or backroom deals.”

On Thursday morning, Lee went a step further, saying he will block all phone calls until the June 3 election.

“There have been too many unnecessary calls about so-called political engineering and candidate unification,” he wrote on Facebook. “I ask for your understanding as I’ve set my phone to block all incoming calls.”

On top of that, time is quickly running out. The first crucial deadline for candidate unification is Saturday, a day before the official ballots are printed. A second and final window closes on Wednesday, the eve of early voting. With Lee vowing to stay the course, prospects for a unified candidacy are fading rapidly, but still not entirely impossible.

Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok, left, shakes hands with James Kim, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, during an event organized by the chamber at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in central Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Despite his opposition, growing calls for a unified conservative candidacy were fueled by recent polls showing rising support for both conservative candidates, while support rates for the DPK's Lee Jae-myung have begun to slip — suggesting a viable path to victory only if the two conservative contenders join forces.

Support for the DPK's Lee fell by 3 percentage points to 46 percent according to the National Barometer Survey (NBS), released Thursday and conducted by Embrain Public, KSTAT Research, Korea Research and Hankook Research on 1,002 adults nationwide from Monday to Wednesday. On the other hand, Kim gained 5 percentage points, rising to 32 percent and Lee Jun-seok’s support increased by 3 percentage points to reach 10 percent.

“Support for me in credible polls has now reached double digits,” Lee Jun-seok said Thursday, expressing confidence in his continued momentum. “Since the last (televised presidential) debate (on Sunday), support has climbed steadily by about 3 percentage points over the past week. I anticipate further gains.”

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, third from left, delivers opening remarks during a meeting with the heads of Korea’s five major economic organizations at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in central Seoul, Thursday. He is joined by SK Group Chairman and KCCI Chairman Chey Tae-won, second from left. Joint Press Corps

Political pundits suggest that whether the two conservative candidates ultimately unite will hinge on Lee Jun-seok’s careful calculation of which path best serves his long-term political ambitions.

“Today’s poll shows Lee Jun-seok’s support surpassing the 10 percent mark, and Kim is also gaining ground. Combined, their support is now nearly on par with the DPK's Lee,” Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, told The Korea Times.

"If Lee refuses to merge candidacies and the conservatives lose this presidential election, he could be blamed for splitting the conservative vote, and this could haunt him in the future if he plans to stay active in conservative politics,” Shin said.

"But at the same time, there exists another critical practical factor: campaign financing. If a candidate earns more than 10 percent of the votes, the government reimburses half of their campaign expenses. Now that Lee has crossed that threshold, he may feel less financial pressure and more inclined to stay in the race through the end. Thus, we’re in a very fluid and ambiguous situation that could tip either way.”

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo holds an emergency press conference on political reform pledges at the party’s headquarters in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Meanwhile, Kim unveiled a series of political reform pledges, including a 10 percent reduction in the number of lawmakers and the appointment of a special inspector nominated by the opposition party.

"We will reduce the number of National Assembly members by 10 percent. This reduction symbolizes a voluntary relinquishment of parliamentary privileges and will serve as a driving force for broader public-sector reforms,” Kim said at a press conference at PPP headquarters in Seoul.

Kim also pledged to strengthen requirements to impeach Cabinet members and introduce a new offense for “judicial obstruction” to punish political forces that interfere with investigations or trials.

He also promised to abolish lawmakers’ immunity from arrest and parliamentary privileges, while introducing mechanisms such as a national recall system to hold “irresponsible lawmakers” accountable.

The poll referenced has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. Further details are available on the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission’s website.