PPP presidential candidate, ex-PM fail to reach deal on candidacy unification

People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo held a one-on-one meeting Wednesday to discuss a possible unification of their candidacies ahead of the June 3 election, but the talks ended without an agreement.

With four days remaining before the official candidate registration deadline, the two have been seeking to consolidate conservative support by fielding a single candidate to counter Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, who is currently leading in opinion polls.

Kim and Han met for about 75 minutes starting at 6 p.m. at a restaurant in central Seoul without any aides present.

Following the closed-door meeting, Han’s spokesperson Lee Jung-hyun told reporters that “no specific agreement was reached.”

Kim also said there was “no meaningful progress” made during the discussion, calling the outcome “regrettable.”

Han did not attend the post-meeting press briefing as he left immediately after the talks concluded without a deal.

Kim said he proposed ideas for unifying the conservative candidacy but Han stuck to his previously stated position.

The two agreed to hold a follow-up meeting on Thursday at 4 p.m., with the location yet to be decided.

Earlier Wednesday, Han held a press conference in which he declared he would not register for the race unless an agreement is reached with Kim before the May 11 deadline. He also said he would unconditionally accept the PPP’s terms for a candidacy merger.

Wednesday’s meeting came amid growing internal rifts within the conservative PPP, with Kim openly criticizing the party leadership for allegedly pressuring him to step down in favor of Han.

Earlier in the day, the party held a general meeting of its lawmakers, where the potential unification of Kim and Han’s candidacies was the top agenda item.

As the meeting ended without a breakthrough, the party leadership unveiled a “roadmap” for unification, proposing a TV debate on Thursday followed by an internal poll to gauge member support for either candidate.

PPP spokesman Shin Dong-wook said the leadership presented the plan to lawmakers and signaled its intent to move forward, but added it remains unclear whether the candidates will accept the proposal.

Kim has suspended his campaign activities since Tuesday, citing what he called the party’s lack of support for his candidacy.

Kim, a former labor minister, was nominated by the PPP as its presidential candidate last week. Han, who is running as an independent, also launched his first-ever bid for elected office after decades in appointed government roles.