Kim Moonsoo: "Han Only Said, 'I Will Do as the Party Decides'"
Kim Moonsoo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, and former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo held a one-on-one meeting regarding candidate unification on May 7, but the talks ended without any results.
After meeting with Han from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. at a restaurant in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Kim told reporters, "I presented my own ideas for unification, but Han repeatedly and firmly said, 'I have entrusted everything to the party. I will do as the party decides.' This is how the talks broke down."
He added, "I regret that there was no meaningful progress," and continued, "(Han's) emergency press conference at 4:30 p.m. covered everything. Since everything has already been decided, there is nothing more to say. There will be no further changes."
Kim also said, "When I asked, 'Won't there be another chance to meet?' Han replied, 'Is there any need to meet again?'" Kim further mentioned that, aside from this, they shared concerns about what might happen if Lee Jaemyung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, were to come to power.
Targeting People Power Party lawmakers and party leadership who had advocated for Han's recruitment, Kim asked, "Who brought out someone who had no intention of registering as a candidate?" He criticized, "Who is it that completely blocked opportunities for the candidates to meet, talk, and come closer together?"
Kim Moonsoo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is answering questions from reporters after concluding a meeting related to candidate unification with Han Ducksoo, an independent presidential preliminary candidate, at a restaurant in Jongno-gu, Seoul on May 7, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
Regarding the issues of 'priority in party affairs' and 'party member survey before candidate unification,' Kim Moonsoo's campaign spokesperson, Cho Yongsul, stated, "Kim is the officially nominated candidate according to the party constitution and holds the priority in party affairs. If the party announces the results of a survey, it would be a failure to comply with directives and a violation of the priority in party affairs."
In response to internal criticism that Kim had broken a promise to unify candidates, the spokesperson insisted, "Kim has never once refused unification. In fact, as there was no progress, it was Kim who took the initiative, calling and texting Han twice to arrange a meeting." He emphasized, "This was not a refusal to unify, but rather an active effort to break the deadlock. It is regrettable that certain people are trying to frame the situation otherwise."
At 4:30 p.m. that day, Han held an emergency press conference, declaring, "I have no intention of troubling the public up to the moment the ballot papers are printed," and announced that he would not register as a main presidential candidate if unification with Kim did not take place. He stressed, "I have no interest in the details of the unification conditions. The People Power Party can decide the unification procedure as it sees fit. I will comply. That is my principle."
Han's spokesperson, Lee Junghyun, also told reporters, "There is nothing to announce. There are no special agreements." Lee added, "As Han stated earlier, we ask the party to determine its position on unification. Once the party's position is set, Han will comply and accept it." After the meeting, Han left the restaurant first without making any further comments.
Independent presidential pre-candidate Han Deoksoo is leaving a restaurant in Jongno-gu, Seoul, after a meeting related to candidate unification with Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party presidential candidate, on May 7, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
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