Former South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo officially announced his candidacy for the June 3 presidential election on Friday, just one day after resigning from office.
Speaking at a press conference at the National Assembly, Han said he was committed to “devoting himself to the country’s future” and pledged to “do everything to earn the people’s trust.” He proposed a constitutional reform that would synchronize legislative and presidential elections in the third year of his term, effectively shortening his presidency from five to three years before stepping down voluntarily.
Han had served as interim head of state following the impeachment of Yoon Suk-yeol, who faced widespread criticism over his controversial handling of martial law. Han is now considered a frontrunner among conservative voters.
A recent poll shows him with 13% of voting intentions, placing him ahead of candidates from the ruling People Power Party (PPP), but still trailing far behind Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, who leads with 42%.