Han Dong-hoon, a presidential primary candidate for South Korea’s conservative People Power Party, said on Apr. 24 that he would “work with everyone to win the general election after achieving an overwhelming victory in the primaries.”
He also said he and acting President Han Duck-soo share “exactly the same vision for protecting the country’s future.” His remarks were widely seen as opening the door to a possible alliance with Han, including the prospect of unifying their candidacies if Han decides to run.
Fellow contender Hong Joon-pyo echoed that sentiment, saying he would pursue a unified conservative ticket through a “one-shot primary” (a single-round vote to select a unified candidate) with the acting president.
Ahn Cheol-soo also expressed openness, stating that “if acting President Han enters the race, the big tent will remain open to everyone.” The term “big tent” refers to a broad coalition that embraces a wide range of political figures or factions in order to maximize electoral support.
Although Han has yet to officially announce his candidacy, all four declared candidates in the People Power Party’s primary have now indicated they would be willing to unify with him.
In a Facebook post, Han Dong-hoon hinted further at possible coordination, recalling that “Acting President Han and I put our heads together to resolve tensions during the martial law crisis.”
He emphasized, “What matters most is the people’s victory—not the protection of vested interests,” and added that he would now devote himself fully to the party’s intensely competitive primary.
When asked during a one-on-one debate about uniting with Han, he replied, “I know him personally. He’s a reasonable and sensible man,” before concluding, “We must do whatever it takes to win.”
Hong Joon-pyo had already signaled his openness to an alliance with Han the day before.
At a press conference on Apr. 24, he said he would join forces with Han “if it means uniting the opposition to Lee Jae-myung.”
He added that he would also seek to negotiate with Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok to expand the so-called big tent.
On Facebook, Hong said he would no longer allow multiple conservative candidates to split the vote and would move forward with a one-on-one contest against Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung by pushing for a single-round primary with Han Duck-soo.
While both Han and Hong had long argued that defeating Lee would require a broad coalition, they had until recently opposed the idea of Han Duck-soo running—but are now shifting their stance.
Kim Moon-soo, who has been supportive of Han Duck-soo from the outset, reiterated his stance during the debate. “Whether it’s Han Duck-soo or Kim Duck-soo (Kim Moon-soo plus Han Duck-soo), we need to unite and defeat Lee Jae-myung,” he said.
When asked whether it would be acceptable for two conservative candidates to remain in the race, Kim responded, “I know the acting president well and I don’t think he would act irresponsibly.” A spokesperson from Kim’s campaign added, “Kim Moon-soo’s big tent is the real big tent.”
Earlier in the day, Ahn Cheol-soo urged Han not to run for president, saying the focus should be on overcoming the political divide caused by the impeachment rather than launching a new candidacy. By evening, however, his tone had shifted. He said that if the acting president feels compelled to run, the big tent remains open to all.
Ahn is scheduled to hold a policy discussion with Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok on Apr. 25 under the theme of “Technological Dominance in Artificial Intelligence.”
Lee, in announcing the event on Facebook, wrote, “Rather than political engineering focused on gains and losses under the label of a big tent, I hope this election will be reshaped around real engineering—a serious conversation about S. Korea’s future.”
The recent surge in calls to unify with Han Duck-soo appears to be aimed at consolidating conservative support ahead of the party’s second primary on Apr. 29. That vote will reduce the field to two candidates and will be based on a 50-50 split between party member ballots and a public poll including both People Power Party supporters and independents.
Momentum for Han’s inclusion has grown especially within the party’s base. In a poll conducted by Embrain Public for the Munhwa Ilbo on Apr. 23, 83% of People Power Party supporters said unification with Han was necessary. Among self-identified conservatives, 65% shared that view.
Hong Joon-pyo acknowledged the groundswell of support during his press conference, saying, “Party members and the public are telling us to bring everyone together. I can no longer ignore that message.”
A senior party official added, “The People Power Party is shifting toward a point where acting President Han will have no choice but to make a decision about running.”
