South Korean right-wing presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo has accused the leadership of the People Power Party (PPP) of attempting to remove him from the race ahead of the South Korean snap election, set for June 3.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Kim claimed that party officials are undermining his position to support former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, despite Kim being the officially selected candidate.

Kim was chosen during the party’s primary elections on Saturday. However, the PPP leadership soon called for negotiations between Kim and Han to decide who should ultimately run as the party’s nominee.

Han, who resigned from his role as acting party leader the previous week to enter the race, is not officially a member of the PPP but had previously served as prime minister under former President Yoon Suk Yeol, a leading figure in the party.

Kim rejected the leadership’s calls for unity talks, describing the move as a forced and illegitimate attempt to replace him. “The forced unification process that's underway now is a forceful candidate replacement and an attempt to bring me down... so it could lead to legal disputes. Stop it immediately,” Kim warned during the press conference.

His supporters have already filed a legal injunction to block the party’s planned convention this weekend, where it intends to formalize either Kim or Han as its official candidate.

In response to growing pressure, Kim proposed a new method to resolve the dispute: Each contender would run a one-week campaign, after which a public survey would determine the unified candidate. This proposal was met with criticism from PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong, who accused Kim of clinging to his candidacy despite weak polling numbers.

Tensions escalated further on Wednesday when Kweon and other senior PPP members began a hunger strike to demand that Kim step aside, severely disrupting the party’s efforts to unify its conservative base ahead of the rapidly approaching candidate registration deadline on May 11.

Lee Jae-myung leads in polls ahead of June 3 election

While the PPP remains entangled in internal disputes, the Democratic Party’s candidate, Lee Jae-myung, continues to lead in national polls.

According to Thursday’s National Barometer Survey, Lee holds a notable advantage in hypothetical matchups, securing 44% support against Han Duck-soo’s 34%, and maintaining a 43% lead over Kim Moon-soo, who stands at 29%.

Among PPP supporters, Han is currently the preferred choice, with 53% backing him compared to just 32% for Kim. These numbers have fueled arguments within the party that Han represents the stronger contender to challenge Lee in the upcoming election.

Meanwhile, Lee Jae-myung has focused his campaign on economic and diplomatic issues. He has met with business leaders to discuss job creation and regulatory reforms, while also urging the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to halt military provocations and resume diplomatic talks.

The conservative bloc’s failure to present a unified front has so far shifted public attention away from policy discussions, placing the spotlight instead on internal party power struggles.