Ahead of the presidential election, discussions regarding the selection of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as a candidate from the conservative coalition are rapidly rising. Within the People Power Party, there is a situation where a 'rival to Lee Jae-myung' is needed, so the possibility remains open, but there are also significant opposing voices. Additionally, potential presidential candidates appear to be showing visible discomfort.
Kweon Seong-dong, the floor leader of the People Power Party, met with reporters after a national assembly strategy meeting on the 11th, and in response to a question asking, 'Do you think it's appropriate for Prime Minister Han to run for president?' he stated, 'Having competitive candidates participate in the primaries enhances the convention effect and draws considerable attention from the public, which is not a bad thing.'
Within the party, it is reported that four-term lawmaker Park Deok-heum and three-term lawmaker Sung Il-jong are promoting the idea of selecting Han Duck-soo. Lawmaker Sung arranged for the People Power Party's Honam regional committee chairs to hold a press conference urging Prime Minister Han's candidacy the day before.
However, there are reports of resistance to recruiting another outside figure.
Recently, Prime Minister Han received attention by securing a 90-day reciprocal tariff exemption period through a direct phone call with U.S. President Trump. He is an economic expert who has responded to the global trade war, having served as the head of the Trade Negotiation Headquarters, and has abundant diplomatic experience as a former ambassador to the U.S. Additionally, he is from Honam and is evaluated as suitable for a 'managed leader'.
On that day, Prime Minister Han also made his first appearance in public opinion polls. According to a survey conducted by Gallup Korea from the 8th to the 10th among 1,005 voters aged 18 and older, the political leader preference for Prime Minister Han was recorded at 2%, the same figure as that of People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, and reform party candidate Lee Jun-seok.
Candidates for the People Power Party's primaries have adopted a 'watchful stance' for now. Kim Moon-soo, the former Minister of Employment and Labor and the leader in support rates among the conservative camp, acknowledged in the morning that he views Han as 'a model for public officials,' but added, 'I have never heard of someone dreaming of a political career.'
Lawmaker Na Kyung-won also stated in the morning, 'The possibility is open,' but she added, 'However, there are many weighty matters that need to be handled right now. Isn't the situation a 'tariff war'?'
Prime Minister Han is reported to have conveyed to those around him that he has no intention of running for president, but he has not officially announced his position. Within political circles, there is speculation that it would be difficult to abandon the position of Prime Minister given the current situation where former President Yoon Suk-yeol has been removed from office by the Constitutional Court.
On the 9th, lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo met with reporters after a briefing at Korea University College of Medicine and stated, 'It is impossible both in terms of timing and physically,' adding, 'During the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn served as acting Prime Minister, but due to tight timing and the need to manage the presidential election, he could not run as a candidate.'
A party official from the ruling party noted, 'It will be difficult to avoid the controversy of 'work gaps' while serving as acting Prime Minister and simultaneously preparing for the presidential election,' and questioned whether he could escape the lineage of mid-term dropouts that includes former Prime Minister Ko Gun and Ban Ki-moon.
The Democratic Party is criticizing the fact that Prime Minister Han has nominated a Constitutional Court candidate for the president and linking it to the discussions of selecting Han Duck-soo.
Former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung stated at a press conference in the communication hall that day, 'Isn't the current acting president (Prime Minister Han) being called a 'de facto insurrection leader'?' He continued, 'The forces that destroy the constitution and invoke insurrection are still in motion.'
Park Chan-dae, who is serving as acting leader of the Democratic Party and floor leader, also criticized during the National Assembly's Supreme Council meeting in the morning, 'He led the destruction of the constitution while immersed in political ambitions, regressing Korea's history and abandoning the duty to uphold the constitution.' He had previously remarked, 'If you are dreaming of becoming president, it is a futile dream, so wake up quickly.'
However, Park Ji-won, a member of the Democratic Party who shared meals with Prime Minister Han during the Kim Dae-jung administration, claimed on a radio program the day before that Prime Minister Han's candidacy is 'certain.'
Park also stated, 'Currently, the People Power Party is becoming an extreme right party,' and said that Prime Minister Han's appointment of Lee Wan-kyu as a candidate for the Constitutional Court has gained credit and recognition from the far-right. Therefore, he will likely move toward the presidency.