Seoul: Kim Moon-soo, a labor activist who transitioned into a conservative politician, has been named the presidential candidate for the People Power Party (PPP) in the upcoming June 3 election. Kim secured the nomination after garnering 56.5 percent support in the party's primary, which included votes from party members and public opinion polling conducted over two days. He defeated former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, who received 43.5 percent support.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim will now face Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's (DP) presidential candidate, in a race to succeed former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon was removed from office following a failed attempt to impose martial law. Kim's popularity within the conservative faction has been on the rise, partly due to his refusal to apologize for Yoon's martial law decree and his opposition to Yoon's impeachment. In contrast, his primary opponent Han Dong-hoon condemned the decree and supported Yoon's removal.
Despite Kim's nomination by the PPP, the presidential race remains uncertain. Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced his candidacy on Friday, signaling a possible campaign merger with the PPP's candidate. Han, who served as acting president after Yoon's impeachment, has consistently shown higher approval ratings in recent opinion polls compared to PPP candidates.
Although Han Duck-soo has not yet aligned himself with any political party, it is widely anticipated that he will collaborate with the PPP nominee to consolidate the conservative vote against the DP's Lee Jae-myung, who currently leads in public opinion polls. Kim Moon-soo has expressed willingness to unify the conservative candidacy with Han Duck-soo, while Han Dong-hoon has criticized Han Duck-soo for entering the presidential race without participating in the party's primary process.