Rep. Moon Jae-in, a former leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea and presidential aspirant, voiced hopes on Thursday that opposition parties would join forces to win next year's presidential election.

Attending a ceremony to mark the seventh anniversary of the death of former President Kim Dae-jung, Moon said that although the opposition parties competed against each other in the parliamentary elections in April, the presidential race would bring them together so as to prevail over the ruling Saenuri Party.

"What I can say with confidence is that we (opposition parties) will definitely join forces in any way we can to win in the presidential election," Moon told reporters after the commemorative event at Seoul National Cemetery in southern Seoul.

He was referring to the possibility that his party and its splinter party, the People's Party, may join hands to secure an electoral win in the race for the presidential office.

Commenting on late former President Kim who led the country from 1998-2003, Moon stressed that Kim represented the "politics of integration" through which the liberal leader even embraced North Korea.

The late president and Nobel Peace laureate is revered as an icon of the country's democracy movement and credited with the reconciliation process with the communist neighbor in the early 2000s.

"Kim engaged in politics that embraced the other side," he said. "Today's divisive politics hurt the nation and frustrate the citizens. I miss the former president's politics of integration and his spirit."

In various opinion polls, Moon remains ahead of other opposition politicians mentioned as potential presidential contenders, including Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, former co-leader of the People's Party.

Ahn also attended the anniversary event where he stressed that he will seek to surmount a series of challenges facing the nation based on the words and principles that the late leader left behind.

"Now, the nation faces a series of challenges, ranging from diplomatic and economic issues to social issues," he said. "At this juncture, I miss former President Kim's insights."

The memorial event was also attended by top officials from the ruling Saenuri Party such as party leader Lee Jung-hyun and floor leader Chung Jin-suk.

Lee praised the former president as a "great politician" that he wants to emulate. (Yonhap)