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Kim Moon-soo, presidential candidate of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), speaks during a meeting of the party’s central election committee and an appointment ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul on May 15. / Photo by Song Ui-joo

With just over two weeks left until the June 3 presidential election, both major candidates — Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party (PPP) and Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party — are making aggressive moves to win over the political center, widely seen as the decisive battleground.

Kim Moon-soo has launched efforts to build what he calls an "anti-Lee Jae-myung big tent," aiming to attract voters and political figures who cannot support the Democratic Party candidate. “There are people who say they can’t support Lee Jae-myung and are looking to come under our big tent,” Kim said on Wednesday. “We welcome people of diverse political views.”

As part of his centrist outreach, Kim publicly apologized again for his past remarks on martial law, a controversial topic among moderate voters. “I sincerely apologize for my past comments on martial law,” he said in an emergency press conference at the National Assembly. Earlier, during a TV interview on May 12 and again at a campaign stop on May 13, he had already described martial law as “an extreme choice” and expressed regret.

Analysts see this repeated apology as a strategic move to defuse backlash and win over skeptical centrists. Kim also underscored generational change by appointing 35-year-old lawmaker Kim Yong-tae as chairman of the party's emergency committee. “Young Kim Yong-tae will reform the PPP and clean out the old practices,” he said.

However, key challenges remain for Kim’s envisioned big tent. A potential unification with Lee Jun-seok, presidential candidate of the New Reform Party, has yet to materialize. There’s also the lingering damage from a failed unification attempt involving former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Kim’s campaign is now reviewing plans to place centrist-friendly figures at the forefront of his election committee.

Meanwhile, Lee Jae-myung is actively embracing defectors from the conservative camp, notably reaching out to former Daegu mayor Hong Joon-pyo, who has broken ties with the PPP. Lee’s campaign reportedly issued internal instructions to recruit "rational conservatives" and has already succeeded in bringing in former PPP lawmaker Kim Sang-wook, who declared his support for Lee on Wednesday.

"I hope he joins our party and works with us," Lee said of Kim Sang-wook. As for Hong Joon-pyo, Lee continued his overtures, saying, “Let’s have a drink of makgeolli when you’re back from the U.S.”

Still, Lee’s outreach has drawn criticism from some quarters, with detractors dismissing it as mere “gleaning of politically spent figures.”

Despite such critiques, Lee's campaign has secured a lineup that includes notable conservative and centrist names. Former Environment Minister Yoon Yeo-joon, once dubbed the “strategist of the right,” now serves as a chief campaign adviser. Former lawmakers Lee In-ki and Kwon Oh-eul, both formerly of conservative parties, have also joined the team.

Kim Min-seok, co-chair of Lee’s campaign, said at a press briefing, “Our recruitment of rational moderates and conservatives will continue. There will be some surprise names that nobody expects.”