Fri May 02 06:51:19 UTC 2025: **South Korean Prime Minister Announces Presidential Bid**
SEOUL, South Korea (May 2, 2025) – Former South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election on June 3rd. His entry into the race intensifies the competition within the conservative party to select a unified candidate to challenge liberal front-runner Lee Jae-myung. Mr. Lee’s campaign recently suffered a setback with the announcement of a new trial on election law violation charges.
Mr. Han, who served as Prime Minister under both conservative and liberal presidents, stated his intention to reduce the powers of the presidency and address the country’s political divisions. He plans to establish a constitutional amendment body to implement checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches, preventing interference from the judiciary. His proposed reforms aim to redistribute executive power, currently heavily concentrated in the presidency.
The upcoming election will grant the winner a full five-year term; however, Mr. Han pledged to serve only three years, focusing on constitutional reform before stepping down. He also intends to leverage his economic expertise to address trade disputes with the United States stemming from previous tariff policies. Mr. Han is not affiliated with any political party but is seeking support from the main conservative People Power Party, which is scheduled to nominate its candidate on May 3rd. The early election was necessitated by the removal of President Yoon Suk Yeol following the imposition of martial law.
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