Speculation grows over acting prime minister's possible presidential bid
Published: 17 Apr. 2025, 00:01
Chin Jung-kwon
The author is a professor at Kwangwoon University
Calls for Acting President Han Duck-soo to run in the upcoming presidential election are drawing comparisons to a poorly written drama script. Yet, according to recent reports, the scenario may be unfolding in real life. A group of 54 lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) reportedly prepared a statement urging Han to declare his candidacy, but party leadership intervened to halt the move.
The idea of the prime minister of an impeached administration entering a presidential race prompted by that same impeachment defies conventional political norms. A prime minister is generally expected to step down in tandem with the president he served. More unusually, Han is the very official who announced the presidential election date that he might now seek to contest.
![Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo salutes during a Cabinet meeting at the Government Complex in central Seoul on April 14. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/17/5f210a1d-3652-4a39-aea1-c9b296e44625.jpg)
Until recently, the PPP had sharply criticized the opposition for pushing for impeachment during the tariff war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump. Now, members of the ruling party are attempting to pull their own head of government into the election as that global uncertainty escalates.
Neither former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo nor Acting President Han was originally seen as a viable contender. Kim drew attention after refusing to apologize for the martial law controversy. Han drew interest from conservative circles after surviving impeachment and proceeding with the nomination of two Constitutional Court justices. These developments suddenly elevated their profiles among conservative voters.
This sudden focus on new names underscores the PPP's lack of coherent strategy in the face of an abrupt election. It also reflects the psychological difficulty the party's mainstream and loyal base has severing ties with the impeached president. Rather than moving on, some elements within the party remain emotionally attached to the former leader.
With the deadline for candidate registration now passed, Han is unable to participate in the party's primary. He appeared to distance himself from speculation by stating during a Cabinet meeting that he would fulfill his final duties as acting president. Yet, he has stopped short of explicitly ruling out a run.
Han continues to avoid directly answering questions about his intentions. While he missed the primary deadline, the legal deadline to step down from office and enter the race is May 4. Many observers believe Han is intentionally maintaining ambiguity until that date — a form of strategic vagueness to keep options open.
This uncertainty is casting a shadow over the ruling party’s primary. As long as Han remains a potential candidate, the primary risks being perceived as a mere preliminary round rather than a decisive contest. In any competition, a qualifier does not carry the same weight as a final.
The mere idea of turning to Han also suggests that the PPP sees little promise in its declared candidates. If party leaders had real confidence in their current lineup, there would be no need to consider recruiting someone from outside the field.
![Former conservative People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon, announces his bid for the presidential race in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on April 10. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/17/a78b38d5-1a3e-4788-936d-7e3ec2f5a0aa.jpg)
The PPP leadership appears aware of this perception and has reportedly urged members to refrain from publicly discussing Han. Still, signs suggest that party strategists are already considering a broader coalition or “big tent” arrangement following the primary. Some candidates in the race seem to be leaving that door open as well.
However, a coalition that includes opposition candidates who oppose Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung seems implausible. At best, the effort may yield a smaller alliance involving Han, former PPP chair Lee Jun-seok, and former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min — an alliance still riddled with complications.
After the impeachment, the party's mainstream chose the wrong moment and the wrong target for political mobilization. Now that the Constitutional Court has upheld the impeachment, that mobilization has lost focus, and the energy behind it has largely dissipated.
This is the second time in a row that the PPP has lost a sitting president to impeachment, and the second time it has looked outside the party for a presidential candidate. The pattern raises serious questions about the health of the party and the broader state of conservative politics in Korea.
![Former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo speaks at the Sejong Government Complex in Sejong on April. 8. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/17/a1f6f9cd-e2d2-4372-b433-cd9ffb1b55ca.jpg)
Han is also not seen as an overwhelmingly strong candidate. Current polling shows a roughly 20-point lead for public sentiment favoring a change in administration over extending the current one. Even if Han has a relative advantage over other PPP contenders, it may not be enough to overcome that larger gap.
Trying to salvage a difficult race through political maneuvering is unlikely to produce success. A better approach would be to return to principles from the start. That would be the only viable long-term strategy for regaining power — and the most effective short-term tactic for the election.
There is such a thing as political timing. To field a candidate who opposed the impeachment in an election triggered by that impeachment is to invite ridicule. Whether the party wins or loses, it must first convince voters that it has crossed the impeachment divide.
Even if a pro-impeachment candidate were to win in an unexpected turn, the odds are stacked steeply against the ruling party. Still, that alone could mark the beginning of a shift in political momentum.
The PPP's base remains demoralized and disengaged. The party must offer its supporters a sense that, after a series of political missteps, it is now committed to taking the right path. Only then will it have a chance to reenergize its base and bring voters back to the polls.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
Calls for Acting President Han Duck-soo to run in the upcoming presidential election are drawing comparisons to a poorly written drama script. Yet, according to recent reports, the scenario may be unfolding in real life. A group of 54 lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) reportedly prepared a statement urging Han to declare his candidacy, but party leadership intervened to halt the move.
The idea of the prime minister of an impeached administration entering a presidential race prompted by that same impeachment defies conventional political norms. A prime minister is generally expected to step down in tandem with the president he served. More unusually, Han is the very official who announced the presidential election date that he might now seek to contest.
Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo salutes during a Cabinet meeting at the Government Complex in central Seoul on April 14. [YONHAP]
Until recently, the PPP had sharply criticized the opposition for pushing for impeachment during the tariff war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump. Now, members of the ruling party are attempting to pull their own head of government into the election as that global uncertainty escalates.
Neither former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo nor Acting President Han was originally seen as a viable contender. Kim drew attention after refusing to apologize for the martial law controversy. Han drew interest from conservative circles after surviving impeachment and proceeding with the nomination of two Constitutional Court justices. These developments suddenly elevated their profiles among conservative voters.
This sudden focus on new names underscores the PPP's lack of coherent strategy in the face of an abrupt election. It also reflects the psychological difficulty the party's mainstream and loyal base has severing ties with the impeached president. Rather than moving on, some elements within the party remain emotionally attached to the former leader.
With the deadline for candidate registration now passed, Han is unable to participate in the party's primary. He appeared to distance himself from speculation by stating during a Cabinet meeting that he would fulfill his final duties as acting president. Yet, he has stopped short of explicitly ruling out a run.
Han continues to avoid directly answering questions about his intentions. While he missed the primary deadline, the legal deadline to step down from office and enter the race is May 4. Many observers believe Han is intentionally maintaining ambiguity until that date — a form of strategic vagueness to keep options open.
This uncertainty is casting a shadow over the ruling party’s primary. As long as Han remains a potential candidate, the primary risks being perceived as a mere preliminary round rather than a decisive contest. In any competition, a qualifier does not carry the same weight as a final.
The mere idea of turning to Han also suggests that the PPP sees little promise in its declared candidates. If party leaders had real confidence in their current lineup, there would be no need to consider recruiting someone from outside the field.
Former conservative People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon, announces his bid for the presidential race in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on April 10. [YONHAP]
The PPP leadership appears aware of this perception and has reportedly urged members to refrain from publicly discussing Han. Still, signs suggest that party strategists are already considering a broader coalition or “big tent” arrangement following the primary. Some candidates in the race seem to be leaving that door open as well.
However, a coalition that includes opposition candidates who oppose Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung seems implausible. At best, the effort may yield a smaller alliance involving Han, former PPP chair Lee Jun-seok, and former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min — an alliance still riddled with complications.
After the impeachment, the party's mainstream chose the wrong moment and the wrong target for political mobilization. Now that the Constitutional Court has upheld the impeachment, that mobilization has lost focus, and the energy behind it has largely dissipated.
This is the second time in a row that the PPP has lost a sitting president to impeachment, and the second time it has looked outside the party for a presidential candidate. The pattern raises serious questions about the health of the party and the broader state of conservative politics in Korea.
Former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo speaks at the Sejong Government Complex in Sejong on April. 8. [NEWS1]
Han is also not seen as an overwhelmingly strong candidate. Current polling shows a roughly 20-point lead for public sentiment favoring a change in administration over extending the current one. Even if Han has a relative advantage over other PPP contenders, it may not be enough to overcome that larger gap.
Trying to salvage a difficult race through political maneuvering is unlikely to produce success. A better approach would be to return to principles from the start. That would be the only viable long-term strategy for regaining power — and the most effective short-term tactic for the election.
There is such a thing as political timing. To field a candidate who opposed the impeachment in an election triggered by that impeachment is to invite ridicule. Whether the party wins or loses, it must first convince voters that it has crossed the impeachment divide.
Even if a pro-impeachment candidate were to win in an unexpected turn, the odds are stacked steeply against the ruling party. Still, that alone could mark the beginning of a shift in political momentum.
The PPP's base remains demoralized and disengaged. The party must offer its supporters a sense that, after a series of political missteps, it is now committed to taking the right path. Only then will it have a chance to reenergize its base and bring voters back to the polls.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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