The progressive camp's bid to field a single candidate for Ulsan mayor is on the verge of collapse. After the camp of Democratic Party candidate Kim Sang-wook declared a halt to the unification opinion poll, Progressive Party candidate Kim Jong-hoon countered that "the responsibility for the breakdown lies with candidate Kim Sang-wook," intensifying the conflict.
Kim Jong-hoon held a press conference at his Ulsan campaign office on the 25th, stating in connection with Kim Sang-wook's halting of the unification primary opinion poll the previous day, "We will wait until today for an apology for the breakdown of the unification primary and an explanation regarding suspicions of improper intervention in the opinion poll."
The Ulsan mayoral candidate unification opinion poll was halted at the request of Kim Sang-wook's camp. On the same day, Kim Sang-wook wrote on his social networking service (SNS), "The core of democratic-progressive unification is preparing 'a winning candidate that reflects the entire public will of democratic and progressive citizens without distortion.'" He added, "Could you accept a unification in which People Power Party supporters substantially intervene or have their intentions reflected, thereby contributing to a People Power Party victory?"
Political circles regard the 28th, one day before early voting, as the "unification deadline." Unification must be completed before early voting in order for the word "withdrawn" to appear next to the name of the withdrawing candidate on the ballot. Attention is now focused on whether the two sides will accelerate last-minute discussions.
