Seoul: People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo met with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of unifying their candidacies for the upcoming June 3 election.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the meeting took place at a restaurant in central Seoul at 6 p.m., amid increasing internal tensions within the PPP. Kim has been urging the party leadership to cease pressuring him into merging his candidacy with Han's. Before entering the closed-door meeting, Han recognized Kim's extensive political experience, stating, "You've been in politics for a long time, so you must be very familiar with elections." Kim, in turn, offered a note of empathy, acknowledging Han's current challenges.

This meeting marks Han's first attempt to run for an elected office, having previously served only in appointed government roles. In contrast, Kim is a seasoned politician, having held positions such as National Assembly member, governor of Gyeonggi Province, and a presidential candidate in the 2012 election. The PPP is planning to conduct an internal opinion poll among its members to evaluate support for a unified presidential ticket.

The party also held a general meeting of its lawmakers on the same day, where the potential unification of Kim and Han's candidacies was the top agenda item. Notably, Kim has paused his election campaign, citing a lack of party support, and had no official activities scheduled other than the meeting.

Kim, a former labor minister, was nominated by the PPP as its presidential candidate last week, while Han also announced his presidential bid. As the election deadlines approach, May 7 is when the National Election Commission must order printed materials for the race, May 11 is the deadline for candidate registration, and May 25 marks the start of ballot printing.