Conservative Groups Rally for Han Ducksoo as Democratic Party Pushes Back

"Presidential National Candidate Nomination Committee" to Launch on April 22

The movement for Prime Minister and Acting President Han Ducksoo to run for president is gaining traction, particularly among centrist and conservative circles.

Prime Minister and Acting President Han Ducksoo is entering the Economic Security Strategy Task Force meeting held at the Seoul official residence on the 14th. Photo by Yonhap News

The "Presidential National Candidate Nomination Committee," which is urging Han to run for president, plans to hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. on April 22 at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, to formally request his candidacy for the June 3 presidential election. It is reported that key figures such as former National Intelligence Service Director Kim Manbok are likely to participate as core members of the committee. Former Democratic Party leader Sohn Hakkyu, who was initially expected to participate, will not be attending.

The previous day, a civil society group also held a nomination committee meeting for Han's presidential bid. The "National Movement Headquarters for the Nomination of Prime Minister Han Ducksoo as Presidential Candidate" held a press conference at the Sahak Hall in Jongno-gu, stating, "What we need now is integrative leadership that can embrace all conflicts and harmoniously bring together our differences."

Within the People Power Party, lawmakers including Sung Iljong, Park Sooyoung, Yoon Sanghyun, and Kim Miae have been supporting Han's potential candidacy, fueling the so-called "Han Ducksoo for President" theory. In an interview with the British daily Financial Times (FT) published the previous day, Han responded to a question about his presidential ambitions by saying, "I have not made a decision yet" and added, "No comment." There are also skeptical views regarding Han's potential run, with some questioning whether he would enter the rough-and-tumble world of real politics, given his career as a traditional bureaucrat.

Meanwhile, Democratic Party lawmakers, including Supreme Council member Kim Minseok, held a press conference in front of the main building of the Government Complex Seoul on the morning of April 22, denouncing what they called a "hasty tariff negotiation for Han Ducksoo's presidential bid." Kim claimed, "Han has already decided to run for president to avoid the upcoming investigation into his alleged involvement in the rebellion, and is seeking justification for his candidacy by appointing Constitutional Court justices, making 'last-minute personnel appointments,' and pushing through a 'hasty tariff negotiation' in an attempt to provoke a second impeachment."