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Key Points

South Korean Acting President Han Duck-soo is set to resign on May 1 to launch his presidential campaign for the June 3 election. He aims to challenge Lee Jae-myung from the Democratic Party and potentially introduce constitutional reforms to improve national governance. Han is exploring merger options with conservative parties and has expressed a desire to reduce political polarization. The election comes in the wake of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, creating a dynamic political landscape.

Key Points: Han Duck-soo Resigns to Launch Presidential Campaign

  • Han likely resigning May 1 to run for president
  • Challenging Lee Jae-myung from Democratic Party
  • Potential constitutional reforms proposed
  • Merger talks ongoing with conservative parties
2 min read

South Korea: Acting Prez likely to resign on May 1 to run for presidential election

South Korean Acting President Han Duck-soo prepares to exit office and bid for presidency in June 3 election

"We must achieve national unity and stop extreme political confrontation - Han Duck-soo (anticipated speech)"

Seoul, April 30

South Korean Acting President Han Duck-soo is likely to resign on Thursday before announcing his bid for the June 3 presidential election the following day, according to government and political sources.

Han has been a favourite among conservatives to challenge Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the liberal Democratic Party, in the election triggered by the impeachment of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

His resignation appears likely on Thursday afternoon, as he has public engagements scheduled for the morning, the sources in government and the former ruling bloc said on Wednesday. A formal declaration of his presidential bid is expected to come on Friday.

The declaration will reportedly be accompanied by a message to the nation, in which he will lay out his vision to achieve national unity and stop extreme confrontation between rival political camps from holding back the nation's economic and social development.

Possible measures reportedly under consideration are amending the Constitution to shorten the president's five-year term and allow the sharing of power, and forming a Cabinet with members of both sides of the political aisle.

A Han candidacy is certain to trigger merger talks with the conservative People Power Party (PPP), whose presidential candidate will be chosen Saturday.

The two final contenders -- former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon and former Labour Minister Kim Moon-soo -- have both expressed an openness to merging candidacies with the Acting President.

As a public official, Han faces a May 4 deadline to resign in order to run for election.

Meanwhile, the PPP has been considering various deadlines by which the merger must be finalised in order to maximise its chances in the June 3 election, Yonhap news agency reported.

To start, May 7 is the deadline by which the National Election Commission must order printed materials for the race. May 11 is the deadline for candidate registration with the commission, while May 25 is the date that ballot printing begins.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

A
Arjun K.
Interesting to see South Korea's political developments! Their system seems quite dynamic with frequent elections. Hope they find stability - we know how important that is for economic growth. India-South Korea trade relations could be affected by these changes.
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Priya M.
The proposal to shorten presidential term is interesting. In India we have stable 5-year terms, but maybe some power-sharing could reduce political tensions 🤔. Though our coalition governments already do that to some extent!
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Rahul S.
South Korea's political drama reminds me of our own coalition politics! But their system seems more fluid with candidates merging last minute. Wonder if this helps democracy or creates confusion? 🇮🇳🇰🇷
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Sunita T.
As someone who follows K-dramas, this real-life political drama is even more gripping! 😄 On serious note, hope the new leadership continues good relations with India - we have important tech and defense partnerships.
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Vikram J.
The article mentions economic development being held back by political confrontation. Sounds familiar! Maybe Indian politicians could learn from their constitutional reform ideas. But our system has served us well so far.
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Neha P.
Interesting to compare - in India, bureaucrats can't just resign and run for office. There's cooling off period. Maybe South Korea should consider similar rules to prevent conflicts of interest? Just a thought.

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