Kwon Young-se, chairperson of the People Power Party's emergency response committee, on the 6th urged Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate, saying, "If you break your promise now, it will be a betrayal of party members and the public, and our citizens will no longer trust our party and our candidate." He requested a decision for unification with the independent candidate Han Duck-soo.
Chairperson Kwon held a general meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido that afternoon and appealed, "I hope Candidate Kim remembers the promise he made. A definite promise for unification, a promise to seek out candidate Han Duck-soo first. Our party members and the public chose candidate Kim believing in that promise."
Chairperson Kwon emphasized in his opening remarks that "unification must be completed by the 11th at the latest." He noted, "I have fully accepted Candidate Kim's opinions and intend to continue discussions," but he also stressed, "The two principles that unification must be achieved and that it must be completed by the 11th are essential for winning the presidential election."
Earlier, Candidate Kim issued a statement that morning, criticizing, "Although the party promised active support, it is currently proceeding with unilateral party operations excluding the candidate (Kim Moon-soo), showing that it does not recognize him as the party's official presidential candidate."
In particular, he expressed discontent, saying, "A unification promotion organization that should be led by the candidate was also formed and notified unilaterally." He criticized the party for summoning the national committee and the party convention between the 8th and 11th while excluding himself, saying it was "unilateral enforcement."
Party authority refers to the power that is transferred to the presidential candidate regarding decision-making on party affairs once a presidential candidate is elected. This is stipulated in Article 74 of the People Power Party's constitution.
The party leadership stated that they fully accepted the requests for the formation of the election committee and the respect for party authority made by Candidate Kim the night before. Lee Yang-soo, the secretary-general, responded, "This is just an administrative procedure, not an attempt to amend the party's constitution or regulations."
In response, Chairperson Kwon proposed, "I will ask the opinions of all party members on the 7th. We will conduct a vote on unification for or against."
He said, "No matter what obstacles stand in our way, we must overcome them," adding, "The differences within us can be adequately overcome. I will talk more and communicate to clear misunderstandings and remove obstacles."
In addition, Chairperson Kwon stated, "If we fail to unify within the target time, I will take responsibility and resign as chairperson of the emergency response committee," adding, "Even if we succeed, if that is your wish, there is no reason for me to continue as chairperson."
He emphasized, "Our goal is solely to win the presidential election," urging, "I want you to approach the battle with the determination to give your all."