Seoul: Han Duck-soo, a former prime minister and aspiring presidential candidate for the conservative People Power Party (PPP), issued an apology to the public and party members Saturday regarding the recent confusion surrounding his potential candidacy merger with the party’s presidential candidate, Kim Moon-soo.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Han’s apology followed significant dissent from party members against the leadership’s unprecedented move to nullify the party’s primary results and replace Kim with Han. This decision came after unsuccessful negotiations to merge the campaigns of Han and Kim.
“I sincerely apologize to the people and party members for the current situation, regardless of the reasons behind it,” Han stated during his first press conference since announcing his candidacy earlier in the day. The PPP had previously selected Kim as its candidate for the June 3 presidential election through primaries. However, they have since pressured him to step aside in favor of Han, who has shown stronger performance in hypothetical matchups against Lee Jae-myung, the front-runner from the liberal Democratic Party.
After the talks to establish a unified campaign failed, the PPP annulled Kim’s nomination and registered Han as its new presidential candidate early Saturday morning. This decision has sparked considerable criticism from primary candidates and their supporters.
In his statement, Han expressed his willingness to unite all primary contenders, including Kim, former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, and lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo. “I will be any ‘Duck-soo,’ whether it’s Kim Duck-soo, Hong Duck-soo, Ahn Duck-soo or Na Duck-soo,” Han remarked, highlighting his commitment to party unity.
Han also made it clear that his main objective is to secure victory in the upcoming election, rather than seeking party leadership. “I will play a role just as a brief stepping stone … I sincerely hope that the party and the people step over my back and move into the next era,” he added.
After the press briefing, Han resumed negotiations with Kim for a third round of talks aimed at forming a unified candidacy, officials reported. The PPP is set to put the motion for candidate reelection to an all-party vote on Saturday, with a final decision on its presidential candidate expected by Sunday, the deadline for candidates to register with the state election committee.
In response to the party leadership’s actions, Kim has condemned the move as an “overnight political coup” and has vowed to take all necessary legal measures to uphold his candidacy.