Is South Korea's Acting President Han Duck-soo Set to Resign and Announce Presidential Candidacy?

Seoul, April 28 (NationPress) The Acting President of South Korea, Han Duck-soo, is anticipated to step down and announce his candidacy for the presidential election scheduled for June 3 later this week, according to an official statement made on Monday.

Han is seen as a strong contender among conservatives aiming to challenge Lee Jae-myung, the presidential hopeful from the liberal Democratic Party, in an election resulting from the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

An official from Han's office informed Yonhap News Agency that, "Han's resignation and announcement regarding his presidential campaign will be determined between May 1 and May 3."

As a public servant, Han has a deadline of May 4 to resign to qualify for the election. Notably, the conservative People Power Party plans to select its presidential nominee on Saturday, coinciding with a lengthy public holiday extending from Saturday to the following Tuesday. Thus, announcing his presidential intentions on Thursday or Friday could heighten public engagement.

Before this announcement, Han is expected to maintain his public engagements, which include a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and a scheduled meeting with US Secretary of the Navy John Phelan on Wednesday, as reported by Yonhap.

In support of his presidential ambitions, several aides to Han are reportedly preparing to resign to facilitate his campaign launch.

On Monday, Son Young-taek, Han's chief of staff, submitted his resignation.

According to the Constitution, a new election must occur within 60 days following a vacancy in the presidency.

The government has also declared June 3 as a temporary public holiday.

The National Election Commission commenced early candidate registration shortly after the Constitutional Court dismissed Yoon.

Candidates are required to register by May 11, with the official campaign period beginning on May 12.

Additionally, public servants aiming for the presidency must resign at least 30 days prior to the election, establishing May 4 as the cutoff date.

The newly elected president will assume office immediately after the election without a transition team.

In a historical context, when former President Park Geun-hye was removed from office on March 10, 2017, the subsequent early election was held precisely 60 days later on May 9.

In the meantime, Yoon, who transitioned from a top prosecutor to the presidency in about three years, became the second president in the nation to be formally ousted from office, following a tumultuous martial law bid that heightened political divisions.

With this ruling, Yoon, now 64, follows the path of former President Park Geun-hye, who was removed in 2017 when the Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment due to a corruption scandal.

Prior to his presidency, Yoon commenced his career as a prosecutor in 1994, ascending through the ranks to lead the investigation into Park's corruption, which ultimately resulted in her ousting and imprisonment.