Ruling Democratic Party(DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung has denied that his pledge to create an “united government” is aimed at forming a coalition government. 

In a forum on Thursday, Lee said a coalition government involves division of power and differs from an integrated government he envisions. 

He said under the presidential system, arbitrarily dividing power that was endowed by the public for political purposes is problematic, drawing a comparison with power abuse cases involving Choi Soon-sil, a former long-time confidante for ex-President Park Geun-hye. 

The DP candidate said he will pursue a government of unity by hiring talents and adopting policies from all fields and sides. 

With the remarks, Lee appeared to dismiss the speculation that he may try to form a coalition government with minor opposition parties, including the Peoples’ Party and the New Wave.