Seoul: People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo met on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of unifying their candidacies ahead of the upcoming June 3 election. However, the meeting concluded without the two reaching an agreement.

According to Yonhap News Agency, with only four days left before the official candidate registration deadline, both Kim and Han aimed to consolidate conservative support by presenting a single candidate against Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, who currently leads in polls. The meeting lasted approximately 75 minutes, held privately at a restaurant in central Seoul without any aides.

After the meeting, Han’s spokesperson, Lee Jung-hyun, informed reporters that no specific agreement had been reached. Kim also expressed that there was no significant progress during their talks, labeling the result as “regrettable.” Han chose not to attend the post-meeting press briefing, leaving immediately after the discussions concluded.

Kim stated that he proposed several ideas to unify the conservative candidacy, but Han remained firm on his previously stated position. Earlier that day, Han had announced at a press conference that he would not register for the race unless he reached an agreement with Kim before the May 11 deadline. He also mentioned he would accept the PPP’s terms for a candidacy merger unconditionally.

Following the talks, Kim suggested organizing another meeting on Thursday, to which Han responded positively. The meeting took place amid growing internal tensions within the conservative PPP. Kim openly criticized the party leadership, alleging that they pressured him to step down in favor of Han.

Earlier in the day, the party convened a general meeting of its lawmakers, where the primary agenda was the potential unification of Kim and Han’s candidacies. An internal poll is planned to assess member support for each candidate. Kim has suspended his campaign activities since Tuesday, citing a lack of party support for his candidacy.

Kim, who previously served as a labor minister, was nominated by the PPP as its presidential candidate last week. Meanwhile, Han, running as an independent, is making his first bid for elected office after years in appointed government roles.