Ex-PM Han proposes meeting with PPP presidential candidate Kim Monday

Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who announced his presidential bid last week, proposed a meeting Monday with the People Power Party’s (PPP) presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, Han’s aides said, amid expectations of unifying their candidacies for the June 3 election.

Han made the proposal as they briefly met during a Buddha’s Birthday ceremony at Jogye Temple in central Seoul, the aides said, adding that Kim said “yes” while nodding.

Kim’s side confirmed their “encounter” but noted that they simply discussed meeting “soon” without further elaboration.

If the meeting is realized, they are expected to discuss efforts to possibly merge their candidacies to garner support from the wider conservative bloc.

Former Labor Minister Kim won the PPP’s presidential nomination Saturday, a move expected to face an uphill battle with Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung, who has kept a wide lead in opinion polls.

Han, who announced his presidential bid on Friday, has been a favorite among conservatives to challenge the DP’s Lee.

On Sunday, the PPP announced it would launch an organization to push efforts to unify the candidacies of Kim and Han, with Han’s side saying it would let the PPP determine the terms of the merger.

According to a Realmeter survey released Monday, 30 percent of respondents picked Han as the most fit single candidate for the conservative bloc, compared with the 21.9 percent garnered by Kim.