As speculation mounts that Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will announce his candidacy for the presidential election, the three leading candidates of the People Power Party are shifting towards a favorable stance on unification with Han.
Initially, if candidate Kim Moon-soo had left open the possibility of unification, now Han Dong-hoon and Hong Joon-pyo are also in a position to consider all possibilities to win against Lee Jae-myung, the candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea.
According to reports from ChosunBiz on the 24th, if Han runs, the likely timing for his resignation from the prime minister position is late April or early May. Several People Power Party officials noted, "I understand that Acting Han is contemplating resigning on either the 30th of this month or by the resignation deadline for public officials on May 4."
On this day, Acting Han delivered a budget address as an acting leader for the first time in 46 years. In political circles, there are expectations that he will complete trade negotiations and enter politics by meeting with Donald Trump Jr., who is visiting on the 28th.
Accordingly, on the night of the previous day, candidate Hong Joon-pyo shifted his stance, stating on his Facebook, "If Acting Han resigns and runs, I will leave open the possibility for unification negotiations under the big tent against Lee Jae-myung, even if I become a candidate."
He added, "If unification is the way to prevent a serious criminal from governing our country, then I will do whatever it takes," stating, "If this is my last mission for my country in this chaotic political climate, I gladly accept it."
Until now, candidate Hong had expressed that Han Duck-soo's candidacy "goes against common sense." However, gaining confidence in recent approval ratings seems to be behind this change in position.
With assessments that candidate Kim Moon-soo's support base overlaps, he has early on expressed support for a big tent with Han, indicating that he won't lose focus in the second preliminary election, where 50% of member votes are reflected.
Candidate Han Dong-hoon, who had a similarly negative stance on the big tent as Hong, also expressed his views on Facebook that day, stating, "Minister Han and I came together to resolve the unprecedented martial law situation while minimizing conflicts," and added, "For me, the victory of the people is more important than maintaining vested interests. After winning overwhelmingly in the primary, I will come together with everyone for victory in the general election."
A key official from the People Power Party noted, "Our support base says we should all join the big tent, but if we can't, we won't be able to gain votes, and our reach will diminish, so we need to adopt an open attitude," adding, "For the final candidate to have true competitiveness, unifying with Han Duck-soo and winning is essential."
On the other hand, candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, among the candidates in the second preliminary election, has expressed a negative stance on Han's candidacy, stating, "Han Duck-soo was the only prime minister of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration who was impeached. He cannot be free from national failure, martial law, and impeachment. His candidacy goes against the common sense and wishes of the people."
As the People Power Party is set to select two presidential candidates on the 29th, there are forecasts that Han's presidential ambitions may be postponed until early May, which is the crucial line. A political source noted, "As all three candidates are showing goodwill, there is an opinion that Acting Han no longer needs to rush to create a stepping stone for the big tent unification," and added, "Since the final candidate will be determined on May 3, he may resign on May 4 to fully enjoy the convention effect of the primary."
However, if a candidate emerges with a majority of votes on the 29th, the final presidential candidate will be decided immediately without a third preliminary election, making a candidacy announcement on the 30th also possible.