Kim Min-seok, chairperson of the Democratic Party of Korea's standing joint election campaign committee, noted on the 24th that it is highly likely that unification will occur between Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party and Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party, saying, "The combined votes of both sides will certainly fall short of the simple sum of the current approval ratings."
The chairperson stated at a press conference at the central party office that afternoon, "If unification occurs, the approval rating of candidate Lee Jun-seok will drop significantly." They also remarked, "The nature of the two support bases regarding whether to endorse rebellion is different, and if unification takes place, there will be national criticism and anger regarding collusion."
The Democratic Party believes that the formation of a confrontation structure against rebellion forces, based on the unification of candidates from the People Power Party and Reform Party, will act as a boon for the election. The chairperson stated, "Ultimately, it will be a showdown between the national candidate Lee Jae-myung and the rebellion candidate Kim Moon-soo," adding, "Whether the election result is a close fight within the gap of party approval ratings or a stable regime change will be determined by the final concentration."
They continued, "The last three major tasks for a stable victory are ▲ maintaining the original intent to overcome rebellion ▲ moderated election campaigning ▲ enthusiastic participation in voting," urging participation in the vote repeatedly.
However, candidate Lee Jun-seok has consistently expressed his intention to complete the presidential race. On the same day, he commented on the continuous unification proposals from the People Power Party, saying, "They are only contributing to ruining the atmosphere." Earlier on the 22nd, he stated at an emergency press conference that "there will be no unification."