La Derecha Diario South Korea's Prime Minister resigned amid major political turmoil.
After Han Duck-soo was appointed as interim prime minister following Yoon's dismissal, he is thinking about the June elections
Han Duck-soo, South Korea's Prime Minister and acting president since the ousting of former president Yoon Suk Yeol, announced his resignation this Thursday, May 1, amid growing speculation about his imminent presidential candidacy.
His departure comes just over a month before the snap elections on June 3, called after the institutional crisis stemming from Yoon's failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.
In a televised message, Han explained his decision as an act of responsibility in the face of the multiple crises the country is facing. "I have two paths ahead. One is to fulfill the heavy responsibility I have now. The other is to relinquish that responsibility and take on a heavier one," he declared, clearly suggesting his intention to run for the presidency. Local media confirmed that he will officially launch his campaign on Friday, May 2.
Han, 75 years old, is a veteran bureaucrat with an extensive career in public administration. He has served as Finance Minister, Trade Minister, Ambassador to the United States, and Prime Minister twice: under leftist President Roh Moo-hyun (2007–2008) and more recently with conservative Yoon.
With a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard, his supporters present him as a leader capable of facing the country's economic challenges, especially those related to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies.
However, his critics point to his lack of a solid political base, his advanced age, and his history of never having held an elected office as significant weaknesses.
Han was appointed Prime Minister by Yoon and assumed the acting presidency after his ousting in December. However, he was also briefly ousted by the opposition-dominated Parliament for failing to prevent Yoon's martial law decree and for rejecting the appointment of key judges in the Constitutional Court. He was reinstated in March by judicial decision.
With his resignation, the succession line established by law foresaw that Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Choi Sang-mok, would assume the acting presidency.
However, Choi resigned a few hours later, after it was revealed that Parliament had reactivated an impeachment process against him, related to decisions made during his previous term as acting president.
In the face of this new power vacuum, Education Minister, Lee Ju-ho, assumed the acting presidency at midnight on Thursday. Lee, a 64-year-old economist with ministerial experience in conservative governments, ordered the military alert to be raised and committed to leading the country with stability in the period leading up to the elections.
Han Duck-soo now emerges as the main conservative candidate in a presidential race marked by uncertainty. The People Power Party (PPP), the main conservative force, remains fragmented after the collapse of Yoon's government.
Han's candidacy could represent an attempt to unify the conservative bloc against the communist Lee Jae-myung, the current favorite in the polls with 38% of the vote intention according to Gallup Korea.
Han's resignation has been harshly criticized by the Democratic Party, which interprets it as a display of personal ambition over institutional duty. "Only the severe punishment of the people awaits a prime minister blinded by greed who abandons state affairs," declared its spokesperson Cho Seung-rae.
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