Seoul, South Korea \u2013 Etawah Today International Desk<\/strong> The party had initially attempted to replace Kim, a long-standing conservative figure and former labor minister, with Han in a bid to counter low poll numbers and internal divisions. However, a late-night vote among party members narrowly rejected the switch, reinstating Kim\u2019s original nomination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Party spokesperson Shin Dong-wook<\/strong> confirmed the outcome:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile we cannot disclose the figures, the vote on switching the candidate was rejected by a narrow margin.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Kim Moon-soo, who had secured 56.3% of the vote in the PPP\u2019s primary<\/strong>, denounced the replacement effort as an \u201covernight political coup.\u201d Upon reinstatement, he stated,<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow everything will return to its rightful place.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, Han Duck-soo<\/strong>, whose late entry had intensified internal rifts within the PPP, officially withdrew from the race on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI humbly accept everything,\u201d Han said, expressing hope that Kim would succeed in the election.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The presidential election was called after the impeachment of former president Yoon Suk Yeol<\/strong>, and it now positions Kim Moon-soo against Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung<\/strong>, a liberal who continues to lead public opinion polls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kim, aged 73, brings a unique trajectory to the race. Once a leftist labor activist, he transitioned into conservative politics in the 1990s, serving three terms in the National Assembly<\/strong> and eight years as governor of Gyeonggi province<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the PPP\u2019s internal discord has shaken voter confidence, the resolution of the candidacy dispute now allows the party to refocus on the election campaign. With the stakes high and time short, all eyes are on whether Kim can unify the party base and challenge Lee\u2019s frontrunner status.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Former Prime Minister Han Bows Out, Paving the Way for Kim Moon-soo to Lead Conservative Opposition Against Liberal Frontrunner Lee Jae-myung Seoul, South Korea \u2013 Etawah Today International DeskIn a dramatic political development ahead of South Korea’s June 3 snap presidential election, the conservative People Power Party (PPP) has confirmed Kim Moon-soo as its official […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"yoast_head":"\n
In a dramatic political development ahead of South Korea’s June 3 snap presidential election, the conservative People Power Party (PPP) has confirmed Kim Moon-soo<\/strong> as its official candidate, following the withdrawal of Han Duck-soo<\/strong>, the former prime minister and acting president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n