Seoul: Members of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) voted down a motion Saturday to replace the party's presidential candidate, Kim Moon-soo, with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, effectively ending a weeklong dispute over unifying the candidacy, officials said. The motion, which sought to nullify the party's primary results in favor of Han, was rejected in an all-party vote, thereby reinstating Kim's position as the party's official candidate.According to Yonhap News Agency, the decision to maintain Kim as the PPP's candidate comes after unsuccessful negotiations to merge his candidacy with that of Han Duck-soo. This effort was considered a strategic move to consolidate conservative votes in the upcoming presidential election. The PPP leadership's proposal to replace Kim with Han was unprecedented, reflecting the urgency felt within the party to present a united front against Lee Jae-myung, the liberal Democratic Party candidate, who has been gaining a significant lead.Following the vote, part y officials confirmed that Kim will proceed to officially register his candidacy with the state election committee on Sunday. This action is crucial as it meets the deadline for party candidates to formalize their participation in the June 3 presidential poll. The failed attempt to replace Kim highlights the ongoing divisions within the conservative camp, with concerns that such fractures could weaken their electoral prospects against the rising popularity of their liberal counterpart.