The acting president of , Han Duck-soo, announced on Thursday that he was stepping down.
News of his resignation comes amid reports that he has his sights on the presidency, with South Korean media reporting that he will be launching his presidential campaign on Friday.
Han is being seen as a potential conservative standard bearer, with the main conservative People Power Party in turmoil following early in December, 2024.
Han ‘taking a heavier responsibility’
“I have two paths ahead of me. One is completing the heavy responsibility that I handle now. The other is putting down that responsibility and taking a heavier responsibility,” Han said.
“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,” the politician said.
Han was appointed acting president after the opposition-controlled parliament voted to impeach Yoon, whose removal from office paved the way for the .
Han was himself impeached after less than two weeks in the role after locking horns with the opposition, who accused him of failing to block Yoon’s martial law declaration.
He was also at odds with the opposition over his refusal to appoint three more justices to the Constitutional Court and for not supporting bills targeting Yoon and his wife Kim Keon Hee.
Democratic Party frontrunner’s eligibility in doubt
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a lower court’s acquittal of Democratic Party presidential frontrunner Lee Jae-myung on charges of election law violation.
The decision now casts doubt on Lee’s eligibility to run for the presidency.
In March, an appeals court had cleared him in the election violation case with Lee saying at the time that the decision proved the matter against him was politically motivated and that he had been completely vindicated.
Lee had been found guilty of violating election law and sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years.
Edited by: Rana Taha
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