With time running out, conservative contenders refuse to yield — and risk losing the presidency

While Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea’s presidential candidate, continues to lead in national polls ahead of South Korea’s early election on June 3, the conservative bloc remains mired in disarray — fragmented, feuding and devoid of a common purpose.

This high-stakes vote, triggered by the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol following his failed coup attempt in December, comes at a moment of deep national uncertainty. The country is grappling with sluggish growth, volatile inflation and global trade disruptions. But instead of seizing the opportunity to present a cohesive alternative, conservatives appear increasingly incapable of organizing behind a single candidate or vision.

At the heart of the internal chaos is Kim Moon-soo, the former labor minister who clinched the People Power Party’s nomination on May 3 with 56.53 percent of the vote. Rather than coalescing behind their newly chosen standard-bearer, party leaders immediately turned their attention to talk of merging his candidacy with that of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo — a longtime establishment figure who declared an independent bid just one day earlier, on May 2, after stepping down as acting president.

Han, though unaffiliated with any party, was viewed by some conservatives as a more competitive challenger to Lee. The expectation — even among People Power Party insiders — was that a unified conservative ticket would soon materialize. But the political calculus has proven more combustible than anyone anticipated.

The two candidates met on Wednesday and Thursday. No deal emerged.

Kim dismissed the talks as having made “no meaningful progress,” while Han’s camp confirmed that “no agreement has been reached.” With the May 11 registration deadline approaching, both men appear to have dug in. Han has pledged not to register unless an accord is reached by then. Kim, for his part, has accused party leaders of exerting improper pressure to force his withdrawal.

The standoff has left the conservative movement disoriented and defensive. Even if a last-minute compromise is cobbled together, the damage — in perception, if not in polling — may be irreversible. Voters see not a party prepared to govern, but one paralyzed by ego and internal power struggles. At best, this impasse is tactically naive; at worst, it signals a vacuum of leadership at a moment that demands exactly that.

Meanwhile, neither Kim nor Han has articulated a compelling economic vision.

Though public surveys consistently name economic revival as the top concern, the conservative candidates have offered little beyond platitudes and procedural drama. Instead of substance, South Koreans are being treated to a power struggle — a performance that only reinforces the perception of an unprepared and fragmented right.

The rhetoric hasn’t helped. On Thursday, Kim accused the People Power Party leadership of attempting to “bring down a legitimate candidate” — a claim that, far from rallying support, further exposed the party’s internal fractures.

Contrast this dysfunction with Lee Jae-myung, who — while himself vague on policy — maintains a commanding lead in support among candidates. Data released by the National Barometer Survey on Thursday showed that Lee led the poll with 43 percent, followed by Han with 23 percent and Kim with 12 percent.

South Korea needs more than slogans. It needs stability, direction and leadership. What conservatives have delivered instead is opacity, confusion and personal ambition — a betrayal not only of their base, but of the electorate at large.

If Kim and Han truly believe they are fit to lead, they must stop treating the presidency as a prize to defend and begin behaving as stewards of the national interest.

They must end their standoff, present a unified front and offer real policy. Otherwise, their defeat will not only be predictable — it will be well-earned.