Statement on Facebook 15 Days After Withdrawing from Presidential Race
"South Korea Stands at a Crossroads: Move Forward or Come to a Halt"
Former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo, who had remained out of the public eye following the controversy over candidate unification, broke his silence on May 28, stating, "With a heart to support and cheer for candidate Kim Moonsoo, I intend to be the first to go to the nearest polling station early tomorrow morning."
Han Ducksoo, a presidential primary candidate, is holding an emergency press conference at the People Power Party central office in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 10th. Photo by Yonhap News
On this day, Han made this statement through his social networking service (SNS) Facebook account, saying, "It has been two weeks since I withdrew from the presidential race and, in accordance with the wishes of party members, I wish candidate Kim Moonsoo of the People Power Party the best for his future."
Han continued, "During this time, I have met with many people who understood my decision and supported my campaign to express my gratitude," adding, "Every time I meet with each of them, I earnestly ask that they now support candidate Kim with the same spirit with which they supported me."
He went on to emphasize, "My thoughts remain unchanged, whether before or after running for president," and stressed, "Right now, the Republic of Korea stands at a crossroads?whether to come to a halt as it is, or to move forward."
Han explained, "Over the past three years, our politics have been marred by extreme bulletproofing, extreme political strife, and extreme impeachments," and added, "The mindset of 'if the law is not on my side, change the law; if the judge is not on my side, install my own as judge; and, by any means, push through my will and expand my power' is dangerous."
He continued, "No matter how much such people promise that there will be 'no political retaliation,' it sounds hollow," and added, "I am truly concerned about what kind of scars this trend might leave on the Republic of Korea, to which I have devoted 50 years of my life."
Han also stated, "If those who seek to overturn the rule of law and shake the system gain even more power, both economic prosperity and national unity will become difficult," and emphasized, "The country we have worked so hard to build?our Republic of Korea?will not be able to achieve sustainable prosperity. This is a lesson taught by history."
After declaring his presidential bid on May 2, Han had engaged in unification talks with candidate Kim, but after those talks fell through, he refused to join the People Power Party's election campaign committee and remained out of the public eye.
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