PPP's No-Nomination Decision Shakes Election Landscape, Intensifies Pressure for Conservative Unification

Ha Jung-woo, Senior Presidential Secretary for AI Future Planning, has tendered his resignation to run in the by-election for the Busan North District A parliamentary seat. Secretary Ha is reportedly preparing to run in the constituency after joining the Democratic Party, with a three-way race anticipated.

Consequently, calls for unification with a People Power Party (PPP) candidate are being voiced within the conservative camp. While speculation swirls within the PPP about the possibility of nominating a third individual beyond former Minister Park Min-sik, scenarios involving unification with former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon or a conservative rallying around him have also emerged if the PPP opts for no nomination. Representative Kwak Gyu-taek argued that former leader Han should be readmitted to the party to contest a primary, while Representative Kim Dae-sik also emphasized conservative unification. Representative Bae Hyun-jin suggested the PPP should either refrain from nominating a candidate or support former leader Han.

Analysis suggests that Han Dong-hoon's support ratings could decline once a PPP candidate is confirmed. Jang Ye-chan, former Youth Supreme Council member of the PPP, predicted that the conservative camp would rally around the PPP candidate, and for former leader Han, the key would be whether he can achieve a 10% vote share.