South Korea presidential race heats up with Han’s entry, court ruling against Lee

Han Duck-soo joining the race to become the country’s next leader complicates the contest, and coincides with a retrial for rival Lee Jae-myung

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South Korea’s Han Duck-soo said on Friday he would join the race to become the country’s next president. Photo: Yonhap/Reuters

Published: 8:00am, 2 May 2025Updated: 3:39pm, 2 May 2025

The race for the presidency in South Korea intensified this week as the acting leader, Han Duck-soo, announced his resignation to run in next month’s election, just as a surprise court ruling dented the candidacy of opposition front-runner Lee Jae-myung.

Han launched his campaign for the June 3 snap election on Friday after stepping down from his post the day before, amid criticism for allegedly exploiting his position for electoral advantage.

The 75-year-old veteran administrator ended weeks of speculation with his announcement, which comes amid ongoing political turbulence following the impeachment of former conservative president Yoon Suk-yeol.

“Dear fellow citizens, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for the 21st presidential election,” Han told reporters on Friday.

He also pledged to lead efforts to swiftly conclude trade talks with the United States, heal partisan rifts, and push for constitutional reform to strengthen checks and balances among power branches.

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lashed out at Han’s candidacy. Lawmaker Kim Min-seok accused him of abusing government resources during his tenure as acting president to benefit his campaign.

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