[Reporter’s Notebook] Acting President Han Must Uphold His Duty as “Field Manager”

"Trump asked during the call whether he would run in the presidential election."

The conversation between Acting President and Prime Minister Han Deok-su and U.S. President Donald Trump was widely reported in the media. The speculation surrounding Han's potential presidential run even extended to the South Korea-U.S. summit call. Among the People Power Party lawmakers, so-called 'love calls' toward Acting President Han have noticeably increased. In the absence of a standout presidential candidate within the People Power Party, voices are rising to put Han forward as a presidential contender.

Han, who hails from Honam, is an economic expert and has taken a firm stance against the Democratic Party of Korea, has grown politically through the controversy over his nomination as a Constitutional Court justice. Where did the details of the South Korea-U.S. leaders' conversation leak from? Unless it came from President Trump's side. The political circles in Yeouido are casting suspicious eyes toward Han's camp.

Coincidentally, the day the South Korea-U.S. leaders spoke was the same day Han nominated a Constitutional Court justice to fill the president's seat. The public release of the summit call amid the Democratic Party's political offensive sparked various political interpretations.

After former President Yoon Seok-yeol's declaration of martial law, diplomatic relations faced difficulties, and concerns over a trade war were high. Many consider it fortunate that Acting President Han eventually spoke with the U.S. president. However, the current situation, where Han appears to be eyeing the presidential race, is worrisome. It calls for reflecting on the proverb, "Do not adjust your hat strings under the plum tree," meaning one should not act inappropriately in a place of authority.

Some believe that Han's active exercise of authority is somewhat permissible since the president's absence is not a temporary 'accident' but a 'vacancy.' However, opinions inside and outside the legal community differ. The Constitutional Court has already made an important decision regarding Han's authority.

The judgment that the impeachment vote quorum for the acting president requires only a majority of the total members, unlike the president, carries political and legal implications. Whether it is an 'accident' or a 'vacancy,' the authority of the acting president, who is not directly elected by the people, must be temporary and limited.

Upon returning to duty, Han made a pledge to the public: "A society divided into extremes only leads to misfortune and fulfills no one's dreams." Is he truly practicing his commitment to stabilize governance based on bipartisan cooperation? If Han's words and actions continue to be perceived as steps toward the presidential race without intervention, expecting political stability will be difficult. This is a point that those within the People Power Party who seek to promote Han as a presidential candidate should consider.

If the person responsible for maintaining and managing the playing field is asked to play as a player, can the game proceed stably?