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yesterday

People Power Party Faces Crisis as Leadership Pushes to Replace Nominee Kim Moon-soo

Court rulings clear the way for PPP leaders to potentially replace Kim with Han Duck-soo, deepening internal divisions ahead of the June 3 election.

Kim Moon-soo, presidential candidate for South Korea's conservative People Power Party, talks with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo during a meeting to discuss unifying candidacy in Seoul, South Korea, May 8, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo
Kim Moon-soo, presidential candidate for South Korea's conservative People Power Party, talks with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo during a meeting to discuss unifying candidacy in Seoul, South Korea, May 8, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
Kim Moon-soo (R), presidential candidate of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), walks out of a general meeting of PPP lawmakers at the National Assembly on May 9, 2025, after the PPP leadership pressures him to merge his candidacy with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. (Yonhap)
Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, addresses a general meeting of party lawmakers at the National Assembly in Seoul on May 9, 2025. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • The Seoul Southern District Court dismissed Kim Moon-soo's injunctions aimed at blocking the PPP from replacing him as its presidential candidate or holding a convention to decide on a new nominee.
  • Kim Moon-soo has rejected party leadership's demand for a candidacy merger with independent Han Duck-soo, accusing them of attempting to undermine his primary win.
  • PPP leadership has conducted a 50:50 opinion poll of party members and the public to determine whether Kim or Han should be the unified candidate, with results expected to influence a decision before the May 11 registration deadline.
  • Two rounds of merger talks between Kim and Han collapsed, including a Friday session that lasted less than 30 minutes due to disagreements over polling methods.
  • The PPP's internal rift threatens its ability to challenge Democratic Party front-runner Lee Jae-myung, who leads significantly in nationwide polls ahead of the snap June 3 presidential election.