Chairperson Kim Yong-tae of the People Power Party said on the 26th that he requested the Reform Party to suggest a prerequisite for unification.
Chairperson Kim noted during a meeting of the central election strategy committee held in Yeouido that "Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok has stated he will definitely block (Democratic Party of Korea) President Lee Jae-myung's rise to power. Therefore, we will never be on the other side."
He said, "I fully respect Lee's point that he does not consider unification," but added, "If the goals and missions of both parties are the same, I believe we will not take a completely opposing stance." He continued, "We will accept the Reform Party's policies for the 2030 generation and will do our utmost for unification, and understanding and addressing the dreams, expectations, anger, and frustrations of youth is the way to meet the demands of our time."
Chairperson Kim also mentioned in an interview with Channel A that "the various conditions regarding unification have ripened now," citing the rise in support for candidate Kim and the normalization of the party-government relationship as the background.
Regarding the method of unification, he said, "I believe that 100% public open opinion polling is the fairest method."
Meanwhile, regarding discussions within some corners of the Reform Party about the need for actions against pro-Yoon (supporters of Yoon Suk-yeol), he stated, "Although candidate Lee has achieved several successes and pushed for reforms during the time he was the leader of the People Power Party, he was hurt due to the party's erroneous judgment. Both the party and those who took such actions should reflect and apologize for that." He added, "If this is truly a prerequisite for the Reform Party's unification, then please request it from us instead. If you make an official proposal, we will review it."
After the campaign committee meeting on that day, spokesperson Shin Dong-uk met with reporters and, when asked what the proposal by Chairperson Kim means since candidate Lee Jun-seok has rejected unification, he responded, "The unification issue is a living topic," and continued, "Although candidate Lee refused unification, the public's fear of the country that candidate Lee Jae-myung would create is so great that I believe candidate Lee Jun-seok is also considering it on a broader level." He added, "Since time is pressing right now, I believe we are not in a phase to discuss detailed conditions."
However, candidate Lee Jun-seok appeared on the YouTube channel of TV Chosun that day and said regarding Chairperson Kim's proposal, "I have no intention of suggesting (conditions)," adding, "If candidate Kim Moon-soo's top priority is to block Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung, he should resign himself."