Former minister Kim chosen as PPP's candidate for president

In a surprising turn of events, South Korea's conservative party, the People Power Party (PPP), has chosen veteran politician Kim Moon-soo as their presidential nominee. This decision comes amidst a heated race against liberal front-runner Lee Jae-myung, leading up to the June 3 election.

Observers predict that Kim may be working on aligning with other conservative forces, including former South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, to consolidate support and prevent a splintering of votes. This strategic move could potentially tip the scale in favor of a conservative win against Lee.

In a hard-fought party primary, Kim clinched 56.5% of the votes, edging out his sole contender, Han Dong-hun, the previous PPP leader. Earlier contenders were eliminated in preliminary rounds.

Upon his victory, Kim declared, "I'll form a strong alliance with anyone to prevent a rule by Lee Jae-myung and his Democratic Party forces. I'll push for that in a procedure and method that our people and members accept, and I'll ultimately win."

Kim's political journey began as a pro-democracy and labor activist. However, he switched allegiances in the 1990s, joining a conservative party. He served as a governor of Gyeonggi province and a member of the National Assembly for three terms.

The June election serves as a platform to chose a successor for former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was impeached and removed from office due to his mishandled imposition of martial law. Kim controversially opposed Yoon's impeachment, but acknowledged the South Korean Constitutional Court's ruling that formally dismissed Yoon as president.

Former Justice Minister Han Duck-soo, an ally of Yoon, heads a reformist faction within the PPP. Despite Hann's faction voting to overturn Yoon's martial law decree and later impeaching him, it's important to note that without Han's support, the opposition-led impeachment motion on Yoon would not have passed through the National Assembly due to a shortage of votes.

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party leader and the clear favorite to win the election, faces a total of five criminal trials on corruption and other charges. If Lee becomes president, these trials are likely to halt, as presidents enjoy immunity from most criminal prosecutions. However, a recent South Korean Supreme Court decision to order a new trial on his election law charges could complicate matters for his campaign. It remains uncertain if he will face a court sentence that requires the suspension of his campaign before the June 3 vote, but he can expect an intense political offensive from his rivals.

It is likely that Kim Moon-soo, the newly nominated conservative presidential candidate from the People Power Party (PPP), will try to form alliances with other conservative forces, such as former South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, to prevent a splintering of votes and increase chances of a conservative win against liberal front-runner Lee Jae-myung.
In his victory speech, Kim Moon-soo emphasized that he would form strong alliances to prevent a potential rule by Lee Jae-myung and his Democratic Party forces, even though he controversially opposed the impeachment of former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was removed from office for his mishandled imposition of martial law.
Despite Han Duck-soo's faction in the PPP voting to overturn Yoon's martial law decree and later supporting his impeachment, former Justice Minister Han Duck-soo, an ally of Yoon, heads a reformist faction within the PPP and played a crucial role in the opposition's motion to impeach Yoon, thus ensuring his removal from office.
As presidential elections approach on June 3, migration, war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, politics, and general news will intensify as voters consider the possible impact on these issues that each candidate represents.
The ongoing criminal trials facing Democratic Party leader and presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on corruption and other charges, along with the recent South Korean Supreme Court decision to order a new trial on his election law charges, could significantly influence the political landscape and the outcome of the June 3 elections.