The People Power Party primary for the June 3 presidential election kicked off this week, with eight contenders facing off in the first debate on Thursday. But the hottest question is whether acting President Han Duck-soo will be running -- a prospect gripping the conservative bloc.
In the past week, a sizable subset of People Power Party lawmakers has been rooting for Han to run for president. Although Han did not enter the party's primary race, he has until May 3 -- the legal deadline for office-holding candidates to resign -- to launch a bid. With primary registration now closed, any campaign by Han would have to be mounted as an independent.
The acting president has the potential to reach both centrist and liberal-leaning voters -- a quality that the party's other candidates lack, according to a People Power Party insider. The insider, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Korea Herald that Han already has the support of elders in the Democratic Party of Korea.
Han has worked for presidents on both the left and the right, having served as prime minister under the late President Roh Moo-hyun of the Democratic Party. He was born and raised in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, a traditional Democratic Party stronghold.
Han's diplomatic background as ambassador to the US is also a strong advantage against the Democratic Party's most likely nominee, Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the insider said. The "ultimate game changer" could be possible advancements Han could make in the arena of trade, and the prospect of successfully negotiating tariff rates with US President Donald Trump.
There are also complaints within the People Power Party that Han, technically an outsider, is stealing the thunder of the party's primary contenders.
"With Yoon Suk Yeol, we already had a president whom we recruited from outside the party. It was apparent from the start that he was not well aligned with the party's values, but we were willing to overlook that for the sake of an imminent victory. Look where that got us," a People Power Party lawmaker told The Korea Herald.
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol -- elected on the People Power Party's ticket -- was ousted over his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, was prosecutor general under former Democratic Party of Korea President Moon Jae-in.
Another People Power Party lawmaker told The Korea Herald that Han's "moment in the spotlight ended" after he seemingly retracted his nominations of two justices for the Constitutional Court on Wednesday. The Democratic Party had protested the acting president's justice nominations -- an exercise of presidential authority -- as "unconstitutional."
"Two conservative justices on the Constitutional Court would have acted as a buffer against Democratic Party abuses under a possible Lee Jae-myung presidency. That's a big part of why he was suddenly endorsed by some of our party lawmakers as a presidential candidate. But he chickened out at the last minute," the lawmaker said.
arin@heraldcorp.com
