Seoul: Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Wednesday expressed hope of unifying the conservative candidacy with People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, with the presidential vote just less than a month away. Han made the remark ahead of his scheduled meeting with Kim later in the day to discuss whether to unify the candidacy to challenge Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, who is leading in opinion polls.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Han stated during a press conference with foreign correspondents, "Unifying the candidacy is the mandate of the people. It will be done successfully." He added, "I have entrusted everything regarding unification to the People Power Party." Han emphasized the need for broad institutional reform through constitutional amendments to tackle complex challenges at home and abroad, asserting that this is why he believes the unification will be achieved successfully and that it must be.

With four days left before the official candidate registration deadline, Han has been reaching out to Kim in an effort to consolidate conservative support and present a united front against the DP's Lee. While Kim has shown openness to a merger with Han during the party's primary, he expressed regret over the PPP leadership's lack of backing for his candidacy and suspended his campaign on Tuesday.

Amid internal tensions within the party, the PPP plans to conduct an internal poll to gauge member support for a unified presidential ticket.