A Mud-Slinging Battle of Greed Over Candidate Unification
Kim Labeled as "the Most Far-Right Candidate"
Han Accused of "Campaigning While Serving as Prime Minister"
The Democratic Party strongly criticized the potential unification efforts between Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party’s presidential candidate, and Han Ducksoo, the independent presidential candidate, calling it a "mud-slinging unification" and asserting that such attempts would ultimately fail.
Kim Minseok, the standing co-chairman of the Democratic Party’s election campaign committee, held a press briefing at the National Assembly on the 4th to outline the party’s position on the two candidates. Regarding Kim Moonsoo, Kim stated, "Among Yoon Sukyeol’s supporters, he is the most far-right candidate in South Korea, having expressed support for election fraud conspiracy theories and Jeon Kwanghoon’s line." He interpreted Kim Moonsoo’s candidacy as "a signal that the People Power Party is giving up on the presidential election and that an internal party leadership contest is beginning."
In particular, Kim Minseok predicted internal divisions within the People Power Party, stating, "There will be an ugly fight between candidate Kim Moonsoo and Kwon Seongdong, the party’s floor leader." He further claimed, "The People Power Party will tear itself apart, rejecting common sense and excluding not only pro-impeachment figures like Han Donghoon, Oh Sehoon, and Yoo Seungmin, but also centrist figures like Hong Joonpyo."
Kim Minseok, Co-Chairman of the Democratic Party's Election Committee, is speaking at a press briefing held at the National Assembly on the 4th. Photo by Yonhap News
Regarding Han Ducksoo, Kim harshly criticized him as "the biggest opportunist candidate since liberation, who used the prime minister position as a springboard for his presidential bid and then fled." Kim asserted that Han would "never be able to overcome the five major barriers of ‘Na-Ju-Eui-Mu-Bang’-inciting rebellion, superstition, disloyalty, incompetence, and self-protection."
Kim Minseok also raised the possibility that Han Ducksoo may have engaged in pre-election campaigning during his time as acting president, stating, "Han is a serious criminal who violated election laws and abused his authority by mobilizing public officials for election preparations, and is an accomplice to insurrection. He should be immediately arrested and investigated, and the Prime Minister’s Office should be searched." As evidence, he cited "a news article reporting that members of Han’s so-called National Candidate Recommendation Committee distributed press releases and directed inquiries about those releases to the Prime Minister’s Office," questioning, "What could be a more decisive clue than this article?"
While the political world anticipates a possible unification between Kim Moonsoo and Han Ducksoo, Kim Minseok offered a negative outlook. He said, "The unification of People Power Party candidates has become a fight between Kim Moonsoo, the avatar of Jeon Kwanghoon, and Han Ducksoo, the avatar of Yoon Sukyeol. This is turning into a mud-slinging power struggle driven by greed, and as the candidate registration deadline passes, Han is likely to either fail to register and drop out, or ultimately, unification will occur at the last minute in favor of Kim Moonsoo."
Kim Minseok added, "We will be watching to see whether Lee Junseok, who could gain some votes from People Power Party defectors, will continue to maintain his position as a third candidate, or whether he will ultimately return to the People Power Party due to the risks associated with Myung Taegyun and the vulnerabilities related to the ‘shovel-gate’ allegations."
During the press conference, questions were raised about the Democratic Party’s campaign strategy, as the party, which initially promoted a centrist and pragmatic approach, has recently taken a more aggressive stance following the Supreme Court’s ruling. In response, Kim Minseok explained, "On one hand, we are working to overcome the insurrection, and on the other, we are simultaneously presenting measures and a vision to overcome the unprecedented economic crisis created by the insurrection. This is a dual, simultaneous effort." Chun Junho, head of strategic planning for the Democratic Party’s campaign committee, added, "The Democratic Party expected this election to take place after the insurrection had largely ended. However, it is now clear that forces behind the insurrection are attempting to regain power, and their influence is reaching the judiciary." Chun concluded, "We are in a situation where the tasks of ending the insurrection, overcoming the economic and livelihood crisis, and flexibly applying both conservative and progressive policies to solve these problems must all proceed simultaneously."
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