SEOUL – South Korea’s former acting president Han Duck-soo has entered the fray for the country’s top office, amid a flurry of leadership changes as the nation prepares for a June 3 presidential election.
“I am a president focused on the economy, a president who can win, a person who will move forward, not veer to the left or the right, and a person who will keep his promises and then step down,” Mr Han said.
Mr Han pledged to amend the Constitution in a bid to bring more stability to a country rocked by political instability in recent months following Yoon Suk Yeol’s bungled attempt to enforce martial law and his subsequent ouster.
“I will properly and persistently pursue constitutional revision and I will properly and persistently take care of the people’s livelihoods,” Mr Han said.
Mr Han stepped down as South Korea’s stand-in leader on May 1, paving the way for his declaration on May 2.
His resignation was followed by an attempt by the opposition-led Parliament to impeach Mr Han’s replacement, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, a move that prompted Mr Choi to resign.
That resulted in Education Minister Lee Ju-ho taking on the role of acting president.
Mr Han may eventually seek to unite a campaign with the final candidate of the centre-right People Power Party, who will be selected over the weekend.
Opinion polls show the opposition Democratic Party’s presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung as the front runner in the election by a wide margin.
But Mr Lee faces further complications in his bid to become leader after the Supreme Court overturned an acquittal ruling in a case against him that could make him ineligible to take public office.
Mr Lee is still likely to stand in the presidential election since he would probably appeal a reviewed sentence if that came before the vote. BLOOMBERG
Join ST’s Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
