Key Points

Han told reporters he made the proposal for a meeting later in the day after a brief conversation with Kim during a Buddha's Birthday ceremony at Jogye Temple in central Seoul.

"I had an opportunity to speak with Kim three times," Han said. "(He) did not give a definite answer but said something like 'yes.'"

Han's proposal comes amid growing calls within the conservative bloc for a unified candidate to challenge Democratic Party contender Lee Jae-myung, who has maintained a comfortable lead in recent opinion polls.

When asked about Han's proposal, Kim told reporters he had listened to Han at the event but declined to answer questions regarding efforts to unify their candidacies, Yonhap news agency reported.

Kim's camp confirmed their "encounter," noting that they only agreed to meet "soon," without providing further details, indicating that the process of selecting a single candidate may not be easy.

Kim, a former labour minister, won the PPP's presidential nomination Saturday for the June election triggered by the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Han, who declared his candidacy on Friday, has been a strong conservative contender to face Lee.

PPP lawmakers urged Kim to meet with Han and finalize the merger before May 11, the deadline for candidate registration with the National Election Commission.

The PPP's interim leader, Kwon Young-se, said the fate of the nation and its people hinges on the upcoming presidential election, calling for unity among all those aligned with the greater cause.

"We must achieve a single candidacy within the next four to five days and build stronger momentum for the candidate to win the election," he said after an emergency meeting of PPP lawmakers.

In response to growing pressure from within the PPP to merge, Kim said in a message that he had asked the party's election management committee to establish a mechanism for unifying the presidential candidates. He added that the merger process would move forward as scheduled through that channel.

In an emergency meeting of lawmakers held late Monday, the PPP agreed to accept Lee's request and launch an organization to facilitate Kim and Han's candidacies.

According to a Realmeter survey released Monday, 30 percent of respondents viewed Han as the most suitable single candidate for the conservative bloc, compared with 21.9 percent for Kim.

- IANS