South Korea’s Han Duck-soo looks to rally conservatives in election bid

SEOUL – South Korea’s former acting president Han Duck-soo has entered the fray for the country’s top office, amid a flurry of leadership changes as the nation prepares for a June 3 presidential election.

“I am a president focused on the economy, a president who can win, a person who will move forward, not veer to the left or the right, and a person who will keep his promises and then step down,” Mr Han said in a televised speech.

Mr Han pledged to amend the Constitution in a bid to bring more stability to a country rocked by political instability in recent months following

Yoon Suk Yeol’s bungled attempt to enforce martial law

and his subsequent ouster.

Mr Han seeks to enable two-term presidencies with shorter four-year durations, a move that might bring more continuity to the nation’s political leadership.

“I will properly and persistently pursue constitutional revision and I will properly and persistently take care of the people’s livelihoods,” Mr Han said.

Mr Han, 75, stepped down as South Korea’s stand-in leader on May 1, paving the way for his declaration on May 2.

He was ultimately

replaced by Education Minister Lee Ju-ho

after Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who was due to take over, resigned amid a late-night impeachment vote in Parliament.

Mr Han may eventually seek to unite a campaign with the final candidate of the centre-right People Power Party (PPP).

The PPP will select its election representative on May 3, but splitting the vote among supporters would help the opposition Democratic Party.

Opinion polls show the opposition Democratic Party’s presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung as the front runner in the election by a wide margin.

But Mr Lee faces further complications in his bid to become leader after the Supreme Court overturned an acquittal ruling in a case against him that could make him ineligible to take public office. 

Mr Lee is still likely to stand in the presidential election since he would probably appeal a reviewed sentence if that came before the vote.

Mr Han, a seasoned technocrat who has served in both conservative and progressive administrations, is likely hoping to unite the ruling PPP around his leadership bid and win the support of rank and file party members and swing voters by leveraging his experience as South Korea’s top trade negotiator at a time when Seoul is under pressure to negotiate a new deal with its biggest trading partner. 

Mr Han’s career includes terms as South Korea’s finance and trade minister and as ambassador to the US.

As acting president, he managed to have a phone call with Mr Trump in which the two leaders discussed trade issues.

If elected, Mr Han said he would aim to amend the Constitution within two years, then hold elections in his third year and step down.

Revising the Constitution, last changed in 1987, has broad support from the public and politicians in both camps as a way to strengthen the authority and responsibility of the executive branch and align the presidential term with that of Parliament. 

A Constitutional amendment requires a two-third majority vote in Parliament, followed by a national referendum.

Previous efforts have made little progress amid partisan bickering.

Mr Han’s support ratings have been steadily rising even before his official announcement.

In a Gallup Korea poll on April 24, he secured 6 [er cent backing, versus party rivals such as former party chair Han Dong-hoon and ex-Employment and Labour Minister Kim Moon-soo who respectively fetched 8 per cent and 6 per cent.

The DP’s Lee had 38 per cent. 

PPP officials say Mr Han is likely to appeal to the moderate voters and his international experience and the knowledge of the local issues would come handy in tackling trade issues and kick-starting South Korea’s slowing economy. BLOOMBERG