On the 3rd, Kim Moon-soo, who was selected as the People Power Party's candidate for the 21st presidential election, noted the need for unity with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who recently officially declared his candidacy as an independent, stating the 'anti-Lee Jae-myung grand principle,' while withholding specific comments.
Regarding the necessity of distancing from the impeached former president, including the expulsion of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, to expand the center and reach outward, Kim noted that he had "not discussed it." He also announced plans to appoint candidates in the party's primary, including Han Dong-hoon, as chairperson of the election campaign committee to launch a 'melting pot campaign committee.'
Kim held a press conference after being selected as the party's presidential candidate at the May 3rd convention held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, answering questions regarding his feelings on the victory, plans for unity with external presidential candidates including former Prime Minister Han, North Korea policy direction, and diplomacy with Japan.
Kim first revealed that former Prime Minister Han called him earlier to offer various congratulations and encouragement regarding the 'big tent plan' with him.
However, he refrained from discussing specific unification methods. Kim said, "(I) have now become the official presidential candidate of the People Power Party. It would have been nice if the candidate had joined the party, but since that is not the case, there are complicated issues," and added, "I will work together with many people who believe it is not desirable for Lee Jae-myung to become president through dialogue on various issues."
When asked again about the roadmap for unification with former Prime Minister Han, Kim responded, "To ask for unification methods right after being elected sounds a bit unreasonable. Party members just selected (the candidate) today, so if I were to propose unification plans now, it would seem strange. I will take a moment to breathe and answer."
He continued, "In the end, unification or a grand coalition is about joining forces to defeat candidate Lee Jae-myung, so I will discuss it under the grand principle," and added, "I think I will meet often with Han Duck-soo in the future."
He hinted that the 'anti-Lee big tent' could include candidates such as Lee Jun-seok from the Reform Party as well as candidates from the Liberty Unification Party. Kim stated, "Lee Jun-seok has had ups and downs. The party must embrace many people and become an entity that can utilize them effectively," and said, "I will discuss this with party officials." He also mentioned that he has not met with the Liberty Unification Party for the purpose of the anti-Lee Jae-myung coalition but has plans to broadly think about creating a big tent.
Kim also announced that he would appoint candidates who dropped out in the third primary, including Han Dong-hoon, Na Kyung-won, Ahn Cheol-soo, and former lawmaker Yang Hyang-ja, as chairpersons of the campaign committee.
Kim expressed, "I intend to invite not only Han but all those who competed against me as chairpersons of the campaign committee, as how can I unify and lead the country properly without inviting these individuals? I will campaign with those who competed against me."
He directly criticized Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea. Kim commented on Lee's allegations regarding funds sent to North Korea during questions about North Korea policy, saying, "How does the Deputy Governor bring money for North Korean projects while the Governor claims not to know? I cannot understand how such a lie could hold water."
He further stated plans to provide humanitarian assistance, such as malaria eradication projects, regarding North Korea policy.
In response to a foreign journalist's inquiry regarding the diplomatic stance toward Japan, he said, "We need to have many discussions about the past to heal and organize it," while adding, "We cannot concede that Dokdo is our territory, but is there anything left to fight about with Japan? I hope both Japan and we can be careful and maintain a friendly relationship."
Regarding the demands to distance himself from former President Yoon, Kim expressed a negative stance, stating, "I have never thought about the expulsion of President Yoon Suk-yeol. I have also never concretely discussed the matter of expulsion."
In his victory speech, Kim said, "South Korea is now entering a new stage of democratization. Is democracy possible as it is? We are at a critical juncture in achieving genuine democratization, contributing to economic growth, development, enhancement of welfare, and integration," expressing, "I feel a heavy sense of responsibility."
He added, "My mission is to create a South Korea that provides jobs and hope for the youth and happiness for families," stating, "The People Power Party has many shortcomings. I will fix them. I will do my best to create a great South Korea and a happy nation that the people desire."
Meanwhile, Kim was selected as the presidential candidate for the People Power Party, defeating Han Dong-hoon, who received 43.47% of the votes, with a total of 56.53% from a combined result of 'party member voting' and 'general public opinion polls,' each accounting for 50%.