Will South Korea's Acting President Han Duck-soo Run for the June 3 Presidential Election?

Seoul, May 1 (NationPress) The Acting President of South Korea, Han Duck-soo, announced his resignation on Thursday, signaling his intention to participate in the upcoming June 3 presidential election.

During a press briefing held at the government complex in Seoul, Han revealed his plans after much speculation regarding his candidacy, which arose following the impeachment of his predecessor, former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

He stated, "Considering the significant responsibility I bear at this critical moment and after thorough reflection on the rightness and necessity of this decision, I concluded that if this is the only path forward, I must pursue it," as reported by Yonhap news agency.

Han is viewed as a strong contender among conservatives, set to challenge Lee Jae-myung, the candidate from the liberal Democratic Party, in this election that follows the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol.

A potential candidacy from Han is likely to initiate merger discussions with the conservative People Power Party (PPP), which is expected to select its own presidential candidate on Saturday.

The final candidates, former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon and former Labour Minister Kim Moon-soo, have both shown willingness to collaborate with the Acting President.

The South Korean government has officially set June 3 as the date for the next presidential election, following the ousting of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

This decision was made during a Cabinet meeting just four days after the Constitutional Court upheld Yoon's impeachment due to his brief attempt to impose martial law in December.

According to the Constitution, a new election must be held within 60 days of a presidential vacancy.

The government also declared June 3 a temporary public holiday.

The National Election Commission initiated early candidate registrations soon after the Constitutional Court's decision to dismiss Yoon.

Candidates must register by May 11, with the official campaign period commencing on May 12.

Moreover, the law mandates that any public servant running for President must resign at least 30 days before the election, setting May 4 as the final deadline.

The newly elected President will take office immediately after the election without a transition team.

Following the removal of former President Park Geun-hye on March 10, 2017, the early election also took place exactly 60 days later, on May 9.

In the same vein, Yoon's rapid rise from a prominent prosecutor to the presidency in under three years has made him the second President to be formally removed from office, a process that has intensified political polarization within the nation.

With this ruling, Yoon, aged 64, joins the ranks of former President Park Geun-hye, who faced a similar fate in 2017 when her impeachment over a corruption scandal was upheld by the Constitutional Court.