People Power Party Unable to Let Go of Unification... People Party Cuts Off All Possibilities

Kwon Young-se, People Power Party Election Committee Chief
"Admit it's gotten difficult
But still have a few days left"

Kwon Eun-hee, People's Party Floor Leader
On question of unification possibility: "None"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The People Power Party has stated that the possibility of unification between candidates Yoon Seok-yeol and Ahn Cheol-soo has become difficult. On the 28th, as the unification of opposition candidates was virtually broken down before the printing of the presidential election ballots, the theory of regime change through the consolidation of the 'anti-Moon Jae-in camp' lost momentum.

Kwon Young-se, head of the People Power Party's election campaign headquarters, said to reporters after the headquarters meeting that day, "Honestly, we have to admit that unification or opposition integration has become difficult." Regarding how to communicate with the People’s Party in the future, he said, "There is no concrete plan," and about the possibility of behind-the-scenes contact, he said, "There is no effort to meet yet."

Compared to the previous day when they said they would continue to make efforts for unification, it seems that the atmosphere inside the People Power Party changed overnight.

The People Power Party maintained the position that the spark for unification has not been completely extinguished. Head Kwon said, "We will not let go of the thread of opposition integration and unification," adding, "In fact, we said before that it was broken off, but there were parts that continued, and since there is still some time, I say that we will not betray the people who want regime change, which is well over 50%."

Inside the People Power Party, the consensus is that currently there is no way other than meetings between the candidates themselves. Even if the second deadline is considered to be before the early voting day (March 4), a TV debate is scheduled on the 2nd, so there is physically no time to go through representatives. A People Power Party official said, "I understand that the plenipotentiary representatives, Assemblyman Jang Je-won and Assemblyman Lee Tae-gyu of the People’s Party, who met, were not actually granted full authority, so if unification talks are to proceed, the candidates themselves have no choice but to meet."

However, the People’s Party has once again drawn a line on unification negotiations, making the outcome uncertain. On the same day, Kwon Eun-hee, floor leader of the People’s Party, flatly said on the radio in response to a question about the possibility of unification, "There is none."

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