0
/ Source: Yonhap

Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party and Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) are ramping up efforts to expand their bases, engaging in fierce cross-party alliances and recruitment as the presidential election campaign intensifies. The moves reflect a shared understanding that “victory lies in broadening one’s support base.”

According to political sources on May 20, Lee is accelerating outreach by embracing defectors from both the PPP and the New Reform Party. Following a public endorsement and campaign support from former New Reform Party leader Heo Eun-ah, Lee welcomed figures from a group backing former President Park Geun-hye into his election committee. In addition, former PPP lawmaker Kim Sang-wook donned the Democratic Party’s signature blue jacket, and Kim Yong-nam, a former New Reform Party policy chief, declared solidarity with Lee, stating, “We’re on the same side now.”

However, some political observers have criticized this strategy as “gleaning leftovers” from the conservative bloc, noting that many of the defectors joining the Democratic Party lack name recognition, political weight, or regional influence, which may limit their actual impact. Still, Lee continues to showcase these defections at campaign events, calling on voters to join “the true big tent that is the Democratic Party.” Election committee chief Yoon Ho-jung echoed this sentiment, saying the Democratic Party’s “national big tent” is expanding in the name of the public good.

Meanwhile, Kim Moon-soo is focusing on the Seoul metropolitan area and appealing to younger voters as part of his “big tent” strategy aimed at capturing centrist support. Behind the scenes, Kim is working to secure a campaign merger with Lee Jun-seok of the New Reform Party, a move he views as critical to consolidating the moderate-conservative vote.

Despite Lee’s public insistence that there will be “no merger,” Kim continues to court him, saying, “There’s no real difference between the two of us.” While a potential alliance with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo fell through, Kim’s camp believes that joining forces with Lee Jun-seok—who has broader appeal and strong support among voters in their 20s and 30s—could generate significant momentum.

An Cheol-soo, co-chair of Kim’s campaign committee, has formally proposed a meeting with Lee Jun-seok to discuss unification. In a further show of consolidation, Kim Yong-tae, interim emergency committee chair, and Jeon Byung-heon, leader of the New Future Democratic Party, joined hands in declaring an “anti-Lee Jae-myung coalition.” The two stated, “On the condition of breaking from authoritarianism, we’ve agreed to continue broad discussions to block Lee Jae-myung’s autocratic rule and push for a constitutional reform under a new Seventh Republic.”