Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the People Power Party, said on the 9th regarding the party leadership's push for a unification between Kim Moon-soo and Han Duck-soo, "A forced unification cannot stop Lee Jae-myung." This statement echoes the sentiment of Kim, who is opposing the party leadership over the unification process, lending support to their cause.
Ahn, who was part of the presidential primary, wrote on Facebook that afternoon, "Today's member meeting will be the first opportunity for the candidate Kim Moon-soo, elected through the presidential candidate primary, to meet with our party's members and openly discuss how to achieve unification. However, the controversies surrounding the unification ultimately went unresolved."
He continued, "Candidate Kim Moon-soo was elected as the official candidate of the party through a fair primary. This is the starting point for unification and an undeniable fact," and emphasized, "A forced unification conducted by the party leadership, as if in a rush or being pulled along by the situation, cannot stop Lee Jae-myung."
He further stated, "Forced unification is not only a shortcut to defeat in the presidential election but also, behind it, is something that all our citizens and party members know is for the sake of internal struggles for party leadership in the event of a loss," adding, "Unification must be pursued through proper and normal procedures."
Regarding the independent candidate Han Duck-soo, he noted, "If you have seriously jumped into the presidential race with the justification of stopping Lee Jae-myung, then you need to have a resolute will to match that," adding, "Saying 'I will not register as a candidate' undermines the justification you presented when declaring your candidacy for the presidential election."
Ahn stated, "You must show the determination to run as an independent and participate in unification," emphasizing that by revealing one's strengths and vision to the public, and competing fairly with our candidate, a final unification can be achieved, which will maximize the synergy of the unification process."