The independent presidential candidate Han Duck-soo said on the 7th, ahead of a private meeting with candidate Kim Moon-soo, that there is no deadline for the unification but that candidate registration must be completed by the 11th.
Spokesperson Lee Jeong-hyun from Han Duck-soo's camp met with reporters that morning and noted, "Once candidate registration is completed, banners must be hung the very next day and proposals for promotional materials submitted to the National Election Commission."
The spokesperson said, "Candidate Kim has also stated that he would unify promptly during the primary process," adding, "By 'promptly,' he meant that the opposing candidate (Lee Jae-myung) has already been confirmed and is actively campaigning, so we must also quickly enhance our competitiveness."
Nevertheless, he made it clear that he has no intention of directly intervening in internal party issues during the unification negotiation process.
The spokesperson stated, "All these negotiations are about independent candidate Han Duck-soo discussing unification with the People Power Party and its candidate," emphasizing, "Therefore, various internal issues will be coordinated and decided between the People Power Party and its candidate. This is not something we should be discussing."
When asked about the method for unification, he said, "There are various methods such as opinion polls, but since we are leaving it to them (the People Power Party), I won’t mention it."
In response to the question of whether they would complete the race if unification fails, the spokesperson replied, "Don’t say such awful things," adding, "Candidate Kim has consistently led a life for the nation and the people, so I trust him, and I believe his commitment to unification is very strong at this moment, so I won’t assume otherwise."
Regarding the internal party conflicts and the speculation about a collaboration with Yongsan, he remarked, "The fact that it doesn't seem to be going smoothly is quite natural in the political realm," and stated, "Negotiating like this is the essence of dialogue and compromise in politics. It’s natural to experience some bumps along the way."