Kim Moonsoo's Camp Mentions Possibility of a Big Tent with Han Deoksoo
Other Candidates Say "Weakens Internal Momentum and Fairness"
Big Tent Debate Expected at Candidate Forums
As the first round of the People Power Party's primary officially begins on the 17th, the persistent presidential ambitions of Acting President and Prime Minister Han Deok-su are complicating the calculations of the party's candidates. With Han's approval ratings rising in polls, interest in a big tent coalition is increasing. Former Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo, who has consistently ranked first in conservative support in polls, mentioned the possibility of a big tent and is working to maintain his primary support, while other candidates have criticized this as unfair and are trying to change the mood.
On the same day, Representative Ahn Cheol-soo appeared on SBS Radio and commented on the possibility of an alliance between Acting President Han and former Minister Kim, saying, "They remind me of the key figures of a failed regime." Regarding rumors of Han's candidacy, Ahn pointed out, "Isn't the domestic livelihood economy in dire straits? International diplomacy is also a matter of each fending for themselves, and there are issues with U.S. tariffs," emphasizing the need to focus on state affairs.
Like Representative Ahn, other candidates have voiced that Han's candidacy and the spread of the big tent theory do not help the People Power Party's primary excitement or the presidential election itself. Given that former Minister Kim maintains the top support within the party, the suggestion of integration talks with Acting President Han is seen as an attempt to solidify the presidential candidacy.
Former Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, in an interview with YTN the previous day, dismissed the theory of Acting President Han's candidacy and subsequent unification as "meaningless and ridiculous," accusing "conspirators who are plotting some schemes to weaken internal momentum." Former Representative Han Dong-hoon also criticized the candidacy theory on KBS Radio, saying, "Suddenly (Han) waits for a walkover? Who would agree to that? Who would think that is fair?" Because of this, People Power Party primary candidates are expected to raise their voices against Han's candidacy starting with media day on the same day, followed by a vision presentation on the 18th, and TV debates on the 19th and 20th.
Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is observing the robot dog 'Spot' at Kia Autoland Gwangju Plant on the 15th. Photo by Yonhap News
On the other hand, former Minister Kim's camp argues that with People Power Party candidates trailing former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung by a large margin in both multi-candidate and one-on-one polls, a total war must be waged by uniting conservatives and anti-Lee Jae-myung sentiment. Previously, former Minister Kim recruited Representative Park Soo-young, who raised the candidacy theory of Acting President Han, as the head of the policy headquarters for his campaign. Park posted on social media the day before, stating, "Once our party's candidate is chosen, we must form a grand coalition not only with the broad conservatives but also with those progressives who believe that stopping Lee Jae-myung is essential for Korea's survival."
In fact, recent polls have consistently shown that Acting President Han leads in support among the broad conservative base. According to a survey conducted by polling agency Jowon C&I for Straight News on the 13th and 14th, among 1,023 adults nationwide aged 18 and over, 349 voters who agreed with the election of a conservative candidate were asked about the suitability of conservative candidates. Acting President Han received the highest support at 29.6%, followed by former Minister Kim at 21.5%, former Representative Han Dong-hoon at 14.1%, former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo at 10.9%, and Representative Na Kyung-won at 7.0%. This result is interpreted as reflecting Han's growing presence due to recent moves such as his nomination as a constitutional court justice candidate and his absence from the National Assembly plenary session's government questioning, taking a hard line against the Democratic Party. While Han has not declared his candidacy, he has been undertaking presidential candidate-level schedules, visiting Gwangju Kia Autoland the day before and Ulsan HD Hyundai Heavy Industries on the day of the report.
Meanwhile, this survey was conducted via ARS polling using wireless RDD, with a sampling error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level and a response rate of 4.6%. For more details, refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.
On the 17th, the People Power Party Central Party Office in Yeouido, Seoul, hosted the '1st Primary Debate Media Day' event for the 21st presidential election. On this day, eight presidential primary candidates (Assemblyman Ahn Cheol-soo, former Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo, Mayor of Incheon Yoo Jeong-bok, Governor of Gyeongbuk Lee Cheol-woo, Assemblywoman Na Kyung-won, former Assemblywoman Yang Hyang-ja, former Representative Han Dong-hoon, former Mayor of Daegu Hong Joon-pyo) were scheduled to be assigned to Debate Groups A and B respectively. The photo shows the presidential candidates waiting in their seats before the event. 2025.04.17 Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group
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