O Se-hoon and Ahn Cheol-soo Finalize Negotiations... "Single Candidate Confirmed as Early as the 23rd" (Comprehensive)

Specific questions to be announced after public opinion survey
Survey to be conducted from the 22nd
"Both sides reached an amicable agreement... Proposal for a meeting between candidates"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate, and Ahn Cheol-soo, the People’s Party candidate running in the Seoul mayoral by-election, have reached a final agreement on unification. Both sides plan to officially announce the unified candidate as early as the 23rd.

On the 21st, the working-level negotiation teams of the People Power Party and the People’s Party met at the National Assembly and finalized the method for the opinion poll to unify candidates Oh and Ahn. Both parties agreed to conduct the opinion poll starting from the 22nd.

Jung Yang-seok, Secretary-General of the People Power Party, and Lee Tae-gyu, Secretary-General of the People’s Party, announced the final settlement of the negotiations to reporters immediately after concluding the talks. Secretary-General Jung said, “Following the major agreement reached yesterday, our negotiation teams from the People Power Party and the People’s Party have smoothly agreed today on the method, timing, and questions of the opinion poll. All agreements are now complete, and due to the preparation of the polling institutions, the opinion poll will be conducted starting tomorrow.”

Secretary-General Lee added, “We have reached a smooth agreement on the specific details related to the opinion poll,” but also requested understanding, saying, “For the fairness of the opinion poll, we cannot disclose the details.”

Both sides had previously agreed that the opinion poll for candidate unification would reflect 50% competitiveness and 50% suitability, with two institutions each surveying 1,600 samples (800 samples for competitiveness and 800 for suitability), conducted entirely via wireless safe numbers. There had been sharp differences between the parties regarding the poll questions and the ratio of landline to wireless phone inclusion.

The timing of the opinion poll completion will also accelerate the unification schedule. Both sides agreed to conduct the poll over two days initially, but if the poll is completed early, the announcement of the unified candidate will be moved forward. Former lawmaker Kwon Taek-gi, a negotiator for the People Power Party, explained, “If the poll samples are fully collected and completed on the 22nd, the announcement can be made on the 23rd; if the poll is only completed on the morning of the 23rd, the announcement will be made on the 24th.”

The working-level negotiation teams also requested that candidates Oh and Ahn meet promptly to reaffirm their commitment to unification. Secretary-General Jung said, “While agreeing on the polling method and various procedures related to unification, the negotiation teams shared the hope that the two candidates would meet as soon as possible?even today?to demonstrate their commitment to unification before the public. We agreed to propose to each party’s candidate that they meet today if possible.”

Both sides emphasized that the agreement on the unification method was the result of their own concessions.

Park Yong-chan, spokesperson for the People Power Party’s election campaign committee, said, “Candidate Oh did not hesitate to make sacrificial concessions by fully accepting all of candidate Ahn’s proposals, including 100% wireless phone polling and the competitiveness survey method. This was a painful decision made to meet the public’s strong desire to reclaim the Seoul mayor’s office and establish a foothold for regime change.”

Ahn Hye-jin, spokesperson for the People’s Party, stated, “Despite various twists and turns, we are relieved that the final agreement for unification was reached today, even on a holiday, thanks to the candidate’s magnanimous decision and humble acceptance.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.