South Korea’s acting President Han Duck-soo has resigned ahead of an expected bid to become the main conservative candidate in next month’s presidential election.
Han has emerged as a potential standard bearer for the People Power Party (PPP), which remains in disarray after President Yoon Suk-yeol was ousted for imposing martial law in December.
Han, a career bureaucrat who has previously served as prime minister under both a liberal and a conservative government, hinted at a potential presidential run on Thursday.
“There are two paths in front of me. One of them is to complete my current obligation,” he said. “The other is to resign from my position and take on a heavier responsibility.”
“I’ve finally determined to put down my post to do what I can and what I have to help overcome the crises facing us,” he added.
South Korean media reported that Han is likely to announce his presidential campaign on Friday.
Han, who was appointed as prime minister by Yoon, became the country’s interim leader in mid-December following Yoon’s impeachment.
The 75-year-old was himself impeached shortly afterwards, with the liberal Democratic Party accusing him of stymying their efforts to have Yoon dismissed for his short-lived imposition of martial law.
Han was reinstated in March after the country’s Constitutional Court overturned his impeachment.
Expected presidential bid
The former acting president is expected to align with the PPP to launch a unified campaign against liberal front-runner Lee Jae-myung.
The PPP is behind in the latest Gallup Korea poll, with Lee on 38% and the potential PPP presidential candidates on a combined 23%.
Han has previously served as trade minister, finance minister and ambassador to the U.S. He has also been prime minster twice, first under liberal President Roh Moo-hyun from 2007 to 2008 and then under Yoon.
His supporters believe that his economics background makes him the right leader to deal with US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
However, critics say Han is too old to become president, has no strong political support base and lacks tough leadership.
A presidential election was scheduled for 3 June after Yoon was officially dismissed from his position by a court in April.
