South Korea: PPP presidential primary narrowed to two final contenders

Former Labour Minister Kim Moon-soo and former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon were selected as the conservative party's final two contenders for the June presidential election, officials said.

Kim and Han advanced to the final round to compete for the party's ticket to run in the June 3 election, which will determine the successor to ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law bid.

Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo and PPP lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo were eliminated from the race.

As no candidate secured a majority vote in the second round of the primary, which combined party member votes and public opinion polls, a final runoff between Kim and Han will be held to determine the standard-bearer.

Both Kim and Han vowed to take on DP's Lee Jae-myung, who is leading public polls by wide margins.

Kim, who opposed Yoon's impeachment, pledged to unite the deeply divided nation amid the political upheaval, describing the upcoming election as a "war of ideologies" with the liberal DP.

Han, who supported Yoon's ouster, said he would focus on putting together forces to effectively challenge Lee.

As for the next steps, the two contenders are scheduled to engage in debate sessions on Wednesday, followed by an electorate vote and public opinion polling conducted over the following two days. The PPP's candidate will be confirmed at a party convention on Saturday.

One crucial variable for the election dynamic is acting President Han Duck-soo, who is reportedly considering declaring his candidacy later this week.

Han, a veteran technocrat with no party affiliation, would need to run as an independent or coordinate with the PPP's nominee to represent the broader conservative camp, Yonhap news agency reported.

The PPP contenders have shown openness to undergo another process to unify with Han if he enters the race, which is seen as a strategy to boost the conservatives' chances against Lee.