Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate of the Reform Party, met with Ahn Cheol-soo, the chairperson of the People Power Party's joint election countermeasure committee, on the 21st and said, "There has been no change in our position not to unify."
Not only Chairperson Ahn but also Kim Moon-soo, the recent presidential candidate, and Kim Yong-tae, the emergency countermeasure committee chairperson, have been continuously reaching out to Lee for unification, to which he has consistently drawn a line.
After meeting with Chairperson Ahn at Gachon University in Seongnam, Lee made these remarks. Chairperson Ahn visited Gachon University to meet with Lee and is reported to have shared his experiences regarding unification from the previous presidential election.
Lee stated, "Chairperson Ahn came to share his experiences. It was not intended to tell me what to do," adding, "He conveyed that if there's anything to discuss, we should talk anytime."
Lee continued, "I don't see the People Power Party thinking they can win this election," and stated, "We (Reform Party) are not engaged in a struggle for party leadership, but are looking for ways to win the presidential election."
He added, "To stop Lee Jae-myung, voters need to rally their support," and mentioned, "I sensed a significant change in the voting intentions of voters in their 20s and 30s, and the only variable is the voting intention of the traditional conservative group aged 60 and over."
Lee said about Kim Yong-tae, the chairperson of the People Power Party's emergency committee, "Honestly, when he asked if I had any thoughts of unification, I said no," adding, "Since we are so close, I joked, 'If you keep asking, I will scold you.'"
Regarding former President Yoon Suk-yeol, he remarked, "It would be better for him to stay quiet," and pointed out, "Everything he does will adversely affect the election." On that day, former President Yoon watched a movie claiming election fraud with Jeon Han-gil, a former Korean history instructor.
On that day, Chairperson Ahn met with reporters and said, "I have entrusted all decisions to Lee," adding, "If he wants to meet with Kim Moon-soo (the People Power Party candidate), I will provide a venue anytime."