Seoul: People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo on Sunday pledged to establish "institutional measures" to prevent the president from interfering in party operations. "We should do away with a president-centric, vertical relationship between the party and the government, and transition to a healthy relationship of mutual respect and cooperation," Kim stated following his visit to the birthplace of Yook Young-su, the late wife of former President Park Chung-hee, in Okcheon.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim articulated that the president's involvement in party affairs has historically led to conflicts. "Once the president got involved in election candidate nominations, it hurt the party's autonomy and democracy, causing internal friction as the party became too president-oriented," Kim remarked, referencing issues under former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Kim emphasized that allowing the president to take over the party would destabilize democracy, urging a decision to end this practice.
Kim outlined three key principles for the PPP constitution that focus on ensuring cooperation between the government and the party, keeping the two entities separate, and adopting a zero-tolerance policy on internal factions. "I will make sure to keep the president out of key party affairs, including candidate nominations and personnel decisions," he assured. Kim urged supporters to participate in early voting, emphasizing the importance of voter turnout to avoid a "bad government."
Conservative voters have expressed concerns about the early-voting system's susceptibility to rigging. Kim acknowledged these concerns and assured that the PPP would work to ensure a clean voting process. "Problems with the current early voting system have been brought up several times," Kim noted, promising that the PPP will supervise and monitor the system diligently.
During a campaign stop in Gongju, Kim expressed intentions to persuade New Reform Party (NRP) candidate Lee Jun-seok to merge their candidacies for the June 3 election. Despite a soft deadline having passed, Kim remains hopeful about the merger to enhance the conservative bloc's chances against Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung, whose lead in public polls is diminishing.
Kim also addressed a Wall Street Journal report regarding the potential downsizing of United States Forces Korea (USFK). He warned that such a move could weaken deterrence against North Korea and diminish the capacity to counter China and Russia. A Pentagon spokesperson has since dismissed the report, reaffirming America's full commitment to South Korea's defense.