South Korea's acting president, Prime Minister Han Deok-soo, has resigned, Yonhap news agency reported.
The presidential election will be held on June 3. Han Deok-soo is likely to formally announce his candidacy for the race on May 2, the agency noted. "I have made the final decision to step down in order to do what I can to overcome the crisis we are facing," Yonhap quoted him as saying. "It is up to us whether the Republic of Korea's policy will follow the path of cooperation or the path of extremes," he added, referring to the polarization and conflict in society.
About an hour before Han Deok-soo's statement, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea began announcing its decision in the case of presidential frontrunner Lee Jae-myung. The court disagreed with his acquittal. A conviction could disqualify Lee Jae-myung from running.
Based on the principle of seniority, the role of acting president should once again revert to Vice Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who already held the position from December to March. The National Assembly impeached Han Deok-soo on December 27, 2024, but the Constitutional Court acquitted him on March 24.
South Korean media recently speculated that Han Deok-soo might run for president to represent the conservative camp following the removal of Yun Seok-yeol on April 4. Han Deok-soo had to step down from his post by May 4 to run for president, so his announcement was expected this week. Meanwhile, the Civic Power Party has already held several rounds of candidate selection for the right to represent the party in the election, and Han Deok-soo did not participate in them.
The former chairman of the main opposition party, the Toburo Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, is leading in opinion polls by a significant margin. According to the results of a poll published on Monday by Realmeter, Lee Jae-myung has 48.5% support, while his closest rival, former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, has 13.4%. The level of support for Han Deok-soo was not specified in the poll.