Former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo (left) and Han Dong-hoon, former leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), pose for a photo at the PPP's headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul on April 29, 2025. YonhapSEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - Presidential candidates for the ruling People Power Party (PPP) were narrowed down to two on Tuesday ahead of the snap presidential election scheduled for early June.
Among four candidates -- IT tycoon-turned-politician Ahn Cheol-soo, former party leader Han Dong-hoon, former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo and former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, Kim and Han were selected based on votes with half of which coming from party members and the rest from other voters, as part of the PPP's internal primary process.
Out of around 760,000 party members, some 390,000 cast their votes, while about 6,000 voters randomly selected from polling agencies participated in the voting.
As neither secured a majority, the two finalists are set to have another televised debate on Wednesday, with a runoff to decide the PPP's final candidate by Saturday, who is widely expected to face Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) in the upcoming June 3 election.
But it remains to be seen who will be the PPP's final nominee, as Acting President Han Duck-soo is reportedly expected to declare his presidential bid later this week and eventually join the PPP, with the election just a month away.
Under relevant laws, a presidential candidate must resign from any official post at least 30 days before the election, meaning that Han must step down by May 4 to be eligible for the election.
The veteran bureaucrat and diplomat would need to either run as an independent candidate or negotiate a unified candidacy with the PPP nominee to consolidate conservative support.
With Lee remaining far ahead of other candidates in most opinion polls, many pundits speculate that there will be a broader alliance or affiliation soon with candidates from minor parties including Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the centrist New Reform Party, and ex-Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, who announced his presidential bid earlier this week.
The snap comes after the impeachment of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol early last month over his botched martial law debacle late last year.
reporter
Im Yoon-seo
lyseo0330@ajupress.com
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