Amid growing demands for the presidential candidacy of Acting President Han Duck-soo from within the conservative camp and voices for a 'anti-Lee Jae-myung big tent,' Han Dong-hoon and Hong Joon-pyo, candidates in the People Power Party presidential primary, both stated on the 25th that they would seek to unify with Han if selected as candidates. On the previous day, Han had taken a reserved position stating, 'It is the time to focus on the primary,' but on this day, he showed a more proactive attitude, saying, 'I will choose to win.'
During the second primary 'one-on-one showdown debate' held at the Channel A studio in Jongno-gu, Seoul, both candidates held up 'O' signs in response to the question, 'If you become the party candidate, will you unify with Acting Han Duck-soo?' in the 'instant response OX' segment.
Candidate Hong stated, 'If Candidate Han comes out as the candidate of our camp, it is hard to face off against Candidate Lee Jae-myung without unification. Not only Candidate Han but also Candidate Lee Jun-seok and all factions in the party must create a big tent,' adding, 'Even if I become the candidate, unifying is necessary to win the election.'
Earlier, Candidate Han, who had held up an 'OX' sign in response to the same question during a debate with Candidate Kim Moon-soo, chose 'O' just one day later.
In response, Candidate Han said, 'It's the same story. I will make a winning choice anyway, and in order to do that, I will handle various situations after the primary.' The previous day, Candidate Han had remarked, 'Leading the discussion during a fierce primary in a party representing conservatives does not help.'
In particular, Candidate Han added, 'In today's public opinion poll, including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, I was ranked the highest among conservatives. I am confident that the People Power Party candidate will ultimately represent all of conservatism through this primary.'
So far, the stance has been that the 'theory of Han Duck-soo's drafting' does not help the party's primary popularity, but as the observation emerged that Acting Han’s decision to run is imminent, it seems they have judged that unification is unavoidable for the victory of the conservative camp.
In response to the OX question, 'Should former President Yoon Seok-yeol leave the party?' Candidate Han chose 'X,' while Candidate Hong chose 'circle.' They both expressed that it should be left to former President Yoon's decision.
Candidate Hong remarked, 'This issue will not be resolved simply by former President Yoon leaving the party,' adding, 'Rather than issues of leaving or expulsion, I believe it is right to leave it up to his own choice.'
Candidate Han also concurred, saying, 'I share the same opinion,' adding, 'It’s not that I am saying he should not leave, but it is a matter that should be left to his judgment.' He noted, 'During my time as party leader, I even convened an ethics committee to expel him. At that time, he was the president, and I believed it was not appropriate to carry out his duties.' Furthermore, he mentioned, 'Now, he is excluded from his duties due to impeachment and is no longer the president. As an ordinary party member, I believe this issue does not need to be made a major topic.'