"If Unified, It Will Ultimately Be Kim Moonsoo"
Park Ji-won, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, commented on Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, saying, "He is no ordinary tough guy." He predicted that if a single conservative candidate is chosen, Kim will ultimately become the presidential candidate representing the broader conservative bloc.
Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, is holding an emergency press conference at the Yeouido campaign office in Seoul on the 8th. Photo by Kang Jinhyung
On May 8, during an appearance on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show," Park said, "Han Deok-soo (an independent presidential candidate) is responsible for the insurrection, and above all, he cannot withstand Kim Moonsoo's intensity."
He referenced the May 3, 1986 Incheon incident, stating, "All of our people remember it," and added, "Around Kim, there are capable lawmakers like Chief of Staff Kim Jae-won." The May 3 Incheon Democratization Movement was an event in which students and workers protested at the Incheon Civic Center, and the police arrested more than 250 people on charges of 'disturbing the peace.' At the time, Kim Moonsoo, who was a leader of the Seoul Regional Labor Movement Union, was imprisoned for two years and six months on charges including leading the campaign for constitutional amendment to introduce direct presidential elections.
Park said, "This is the end of the road for Han Deok-soo," and added, "His name will not appear on the ballot." He continued, "Han lacks the tenacity of a weed that grows in the political field," and stated, "If Han Deok-soo becomes president, Yoon Kunhee (Yoon Seok-yeol, former president, and Kim Kunhee, his wife) will become the king and queen behind the scenes. Would it be acceptable for Korea to become such a country?"
Regarding Kim Moonsoo's earlier active support for a single candidacy, using the term 'Kim Deok-soo' (a combination of Kim Moonsoo and Han Deok-soo), and his subsequent change in stance, Park said, "That's the Yeouido way." He added, "Even if the words are crooked, former Daegu Mayor Hong Joonpyo is right," referring to Hong's remark: "They talk about unifying the candidacy to give Yoon Seok-yeol and Han Deok-soo a free pass, but after electing Kim Moonsoo and eliminating everyone else, is this what they are doing now?"
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