Conservative Focus on Han Deok-su... Divided Between "Firestarter" and "Counterattack Card"

Even After the Primary Begins,
the "Great Hope Theory" Remains

Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is visiting Kia Autoland Gwangju Plant on the 15th. Photo by Yonhap News

Han Deok-soo, Acting President and Prime Minister, has withdrawn from the People Power Party primary, but the 'great hope theory' within the ruling party has not subsided. This is because the possibility of promoting a 'big tent' that unites various political forces remains alive after the final candidate of the People Power Party is selected on the 3rd of next month.

For now, Acting President Han and the Prime Minister's Office appear to be distancing themselves from presidential bid rumors, but his extensive activities are being analyzed as unusual. On the 15th, Acting President Han visited Gwangju Kia Autoland to hear the voices of the automobile industry facing difficulties due to U.S. tariff policies, emphasizing, "We are making our best efforts in negotiations to minimize tariff burdens."

With U.S. tariff negotiations becoming the government's top priority, Han prioritized visiting Gwangju, and both the timing and location of the visit have sparked various political interpretations. After visiting the industrial site, he personally delivered encouragement money to a restaurant in Da-in Market, Dong-gu, Gwangju, which offers meals for 1,000 won, and left a handwritten letter. The Prime Minister's Office cautioned against overinterpretation, stating, "Even before becoming Acting President, he personally took care of people's livelihoods when regional schedules arose," but some analyze this as a move targeting the Honam vote, given Han's origins in Jeonju.

A key official of the People Power Party said, "It is still too early to conclude whether Acting President Han will run or not," adding, "The direction of public opinion over the next 10 days will be important." Some speculate with hope that if Han imprints an image of stability in state affairs by leveraging his expertise in trade, he could become a card to face former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung.

However, there is fierce debate within the People Power Party. There are concerns that Han's ambiguous stance may reduce interest and focus on the party's primary and make the presidential candidates participating in the primary mere stand-ins. A ruling party official said, "Like Ban Ki-moon during former President Park Geun-hye's time, he will only play the role of kindling," and predicted, "It will be difficult to win with a scenario of running as an independent and then unifying with the People Power Party candidate."