Kim: "Not Recognized as Official Candidate"... Kwon Youngse: "Unification Promise Comes First"
Leadership Heads to Meet Kim in TK, But Kim Abruptly Cancels and Returns to Seoul
Party to Pressure Kim with Unification Survey Tomorrow... Some Call for "Candidate Replacement"
The conflict between Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate, and the party leadership over unification with independent presidential contender Han Ducksoo continued for a second day.
On May 6, Kim strongly criticized the party leadership, claiming that the PPP was not officially recognizing him as its presidential candidate. In response, the leadership intensified its pressure, raising the issue of "betraying party members and the public" and urging Kim to pursue unification.
Although the PPP had accepted Kim's demands the previous day and even formed a campaign committee, the rift between Kim and the leadership has only deepened, with discord growing louder rather than being resolved.
In a statement released that day, Kim targeted the leadership, saying, "While they promised active support for the candidate, they continue to unilaterally run the party without involving the candidate, effectively refusing to recognize me as the official presidential candidate." He added, "They have also failed to cooperate in forming the essential campaign headquarters and appointing party officials, which are necessary to smoothly promote unification."
Kwon Youngse, the head of the emergency committee, addressed Kim at a parliamentary meeting, stating, "Our party members and the public chose you because they trusted your clear promise to pursue unification and your pledge to meet Han first." He continued, "If you now break that trust, it would be a betrayal of party members and the public, and the people will no longer trust our party or our candidate." He further pointed out, "Before discussing the right to prioritize party affairs, the promises made to the public and party members should come first."
Han Ducksoo also joined the PPP leadership in ramping up pressure for unification. At a Kwanhun Forum, Han said, "Failure to unify would be a great betrayal of the public and a violation of their trust. No politician or public official can dare to go against the will of the people."
As the conflict over unification deepened, Kwon Youngse and floor leader Kwon Seongdong planned to travel to Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK), where Kim was scheduled to campaign, to meet him in person and attempt to persuade and pressure him.
However, when Kim abruptly canceled his local schedule and announced he would return to Seoul, the leadership also turned back. Kim's cancellation was interpreted as an expression of strong displeasure toward the leadership.
Speaking to reporters at the Gyeongju APEC Preparatory Support Group, Kim said, "This party, which twice failed to protect the president, is now trying to oust its presidential candidate." He added, "As a candidate, I will suspend my schedule from now on. I will return to Seoul and thoroughly prepare measures for the remaining issues."
Kim and the leadership also clashed over the upcoming National Committee meeting on May 8-9 and the party convention announcement for May 10-11. Kim criticized, "They convened the National Committee and party convention suddenly. I believe the leadership is attempting to forcibly remove me, the legitimate presidential candidate." Kim's camp suspects that the party convention is intended to revise the party constitution and regulations to replace the candidate.
In response, Secretary-General Lee Yangsoo held a press conference at the National Assembly, stating, "This convention is not intended to revise the party constitution or regulations. If unification is achieved and Kim wins, there will be no need for a convention. If Han wins, then a convention will be necessary."
Due to the conflict between Kim and the leadership, discussions on unification have not even begun. The PPP had accepted Kim's demands the previous day, forming a unification task force and appointing lawmaker Yoo Sangbeom as its head.
Secretary-General Lee said, "Representative Yoo tried to hold a task force meeting this morning, and Han's camp was waiting to attend, but Kim's camp refused, so the first meeting did not take place."
In response, the PPP leadership launched intense pressure on Kim, aiming to achieve unification by May 11.
The PPP decided to conduct a survey of party members on whether they support unification of the candidates. The party believes public opinion strongly favors unification and intends to use the survey results to bring Kim on board with the unification process.
Um Taeyoung, secretary of the PPP's group of two-term lawmakers, and Kim Daesik, secretary of the first-term lawmakers' group, met Kim in Gyeongju that day to convey the opinions of both groups urging unification.
Eleven PPP metropolitan and provincial governors, including Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon and North Chungcheong Governor Kim Younghwan, issued a statement saying, "Kim and Han must meet immediately. Without unification, we cannot win. No one can defy this mandate."
Yoon Heesook, head of the Yeouido Institute, wrote on Facebook, "If Kim has no intention of unifying, he should give up his candidacy and step aside. If the process is set but Kim still refuses to participate, it means he deceived party members to win the nomination and should be replaced."
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