A candidacy merger dispute intensified Thursday as conservative presidential hopeful Kim Moon-soo refused to yield to internal party demands. Leaders from the People Power Party continued to pressure Kim to merge his campaign with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The two met again Thursday evening in a tense encounter that lasted barely an hour. Their talks failed to produce progress on unifying their bids before the May 11 registration deadline. The candidacy merger dispute has deepened fractures within the conservative camp.
Kim, who won the party nomination just last week, confronted Han at the National Assembly over the timing of the merger push. He questioned why Han approached him only after the primaries ended and campaign expenses had been paid. “I never refused a merger,” Kim told reporters during the meeting. “But I won fairly and completed the process — why this sudden pressure now?” The candidacy merger dispute continued without resolution after the discussion.
Han, who recently resigned as prime minister to run, insisted that unity remained essential for the conservative bloc’s success. He urged Kim to finalize a deal before the deadline, calling it a duty to the party and voters. Kim, however, remained defiant throughout the day, holding a morning press conference to denounce party leaders. He accused them of orchestrating a takeover to install Han as the new frontrunner. The candidacy merger dispute took a confrontational turn as public disagreements escalated.
Kim also rejected plans for a joint televised debate that afternoon, calling it unilaterally arranged. Instead, he proposed a debate next Wednesday, followed by polls to decide the unified candidate. Party floor leader Kweon Seong-dong dismissed Kim’s plan and criticized his refusal to merge. Kweon and other senior party members even began a hunger strike to increase pressure. Meanwhile, an internal survey showed over 80 percent of party members supporting a merger before the registration deadline.
As the party braces for official registration, tensions show no signs of cooling. Han’s camp publicly rejected Kim’s new debate proposal and insisted on finalizing the merger this week. Speaking in Gumi, Han warned that delaying unity disrespects voters and threatens South Korea’s future. Kim responded by questioning Han’s refusal to join the party primary. With time running out, the candidacy merger dispute could fracture the party ahead of a critical election.
