Ankara: South Korea's ruling party is grappling with internal discord as it struggles to present a unified candidate for the upcoming snap presidential election. The People Power Party's nominee, Kim Moon-soo, has resisted calls to unify his candidacy with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, as reported by Seoul-based Yonhap News on Thursday.
According to Anadolu Agency, Kim Moon-soo has urged the party leadership to cease efforts to merge his campaign with Han's in order to consolidate conservative support against Democratic Party front-runner Lee Jae-myung. Lee currently holds a commanding lead in opinion polls as the June 3 election approaches.
Kim's comments followed a failed attempt to reach a consensus with Han on running as a single candidate. A survey released by the JoongAng Ilbo daily indicates that Lee enjoys nearly 50% support.
"I demand that the party leadership stop trying to bring me, a legitimate candidate, down," Kim declared to reporters. "I will not yield to any injustice."
Kim was officially nominated by the People Power Party earlier this month, while Han, who previously served as an acting president, announced his candidacy last week. Despite his lead over Kim in recent polls, Han has stated he will not formally enter the race unless an agreement is reached to unify the conservative ticket.
With only four days left before the official candidate registration deadline, both candidates face mounting pressure to present a united front against Lee from the Democratic Party.