South Korea’s politics is now in chaos as its acting president resigned so he can run for president. The nation’s finance minister also announced his resignation ahead of his impeachment vote, while the presidential liberal frontrunner is about to face retrial.
After Yoon Suk Yeol was officially impeached from his presidency for the declaration of martial law, South Korea scheduled the new election to be held on June 3. As the date draws near, Han Duck-soo, the acting president and the prime minister, announced his resignation and the bid for the presidency.
Han held the position of prime minister twice, and also several government senior roles over the years. He took over Yoon’s position in December before being impeached and later reinstated. When he resigned, he stated his willingness to “take on a greater responsibility,” indicating his decision to run for president.
Han promised his dedication to the economy as the nation faced trade challenges, caused by U.S.’ tariff policies. In addition, he also promised to lower the five-year presidential term that the public has criticized as it seemingly provides excessive and unchecked power.
Besides Han, Choi Sang-mok, the finance minister, also announced his resignation just as he is about to face an impeachment vote. The opposition Democratic Party filed this motion as they accused him of being “selective” in choosing justices for the Constitutional Court.
Now, Lee Ju-ho, the Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister, has to take up the position as the acting president.
These entire events came after the Constitutional Court overturned the case of Lee Jae-myung’s election law violation. The leader of the Democratic Party was accused of making “false statements” in the previous presidential bid, but the court acquitted it back in March.
Lee has dominated in every opinion poll, making him the frontrunner for the presidential race. Now, his candidacy is in jeopardy. If the county finds Lee guilty, he could be restricted from running any office for five years.
