South Korea: Ex-President Yoon announces departure from PPP, urges support for party candidate Kim

In a post on his Facebook account, Yoon said, "I am leaving the People Power Party today," adding, "Although I am leaving the party, I will continue to stand at the forefront to defend freedom and national sovereignty."

He also called on voters to unite behind Kim, emphasising the importance of participating in the upcoming election.

"Please give your support to Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party. Make sure to cast your vote. Every single vote is a path toward safeguarding this country's freedom, sovereignty and prosperity," he said.

Yoon was removed from office in April over his botched martial law attempt in December and is facing a criminal trial.

Calls have been growing within the conservative PPP for the ousted President to sever his ties with the party, with many members believing that his departure is necessary to help boost Kim's stagnant poll numbers against Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung.

"I believe the (former) President will make a rational decision," Rep. Kim Yong-tae, interim party leader, said during a Press conference on Thursday. "As the interim leader, I would respectfully recommend the President leave the party."

PPP candidate Kim had largely retained a neutral position about Yoon's potential exit from the party, saying it was up to Yoon to decide whether to leave the PPP, while more centrist members of the party had called for the leadership to voluntarily expunge Yoon's party affiliation.

After Yoon's announcement, the PPP candidate said he "respects" the former President's decision to leave the party, Yonhap news agency reported.

"We will humbly accept his decision and work to make the party more united and innovative, so that the party, the campaign and the presidency can align with the will of the people," Kim Moon-soo told reporters after a campaign meeting at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Centre in Gwangju, some 270 kilometres south of Seoul.

When asked whether there had been any prior coordination with Yoon on his withdrawal, candidate Kim replied, "None at all."

Rival parties slammed Yoon's PPP departure, claiming that his statement lacks a sense of apology to the public for his martial law fiasco.

DP spokesperson Rep. Hwang Jung-a said during a briefing, "Yoon Suk Yeol's departure statement is filled with delusion and self-obsession, with no trace of reflection or apology."

"The PPP has forever branded itself as a pathetic remnant of insurrectionists, having failed to expel the leader of insurrection with its own hands."

Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate of the minor New Reform Party, also criticised Yoon.

"It is repugnant that the very person who caused chaos consumed by delusions of election fraud is speaking of freedom, rule of law, sovereignty, happiness and security." Lee wrote on his Facebook account.