Now-former Prime Minister and acting President Han Duck-soo on Friday officially declared his bid for president, pledging to amend the Constitution, saying that such efforts have lost momentum into the past because all other politicians were only focused on taking power, unlike him, who is a career civil servant.

Han's official announcement, made the morning after his resignation from his post, included a pledge to step down in the third year of his presidency — if elected — should he succeed in passing his proposed constitutional amendment.

The specific content of the constitutional reform will be decided by the Korean people, according to him, but it will involve "decentralization of power."

“On the first day of my term, I will establish a presidential task force dedicated to amending the Constitution and make its success my top priority,” he said at a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul.

“In the third year, after holding general and presidential elections under the new Constitution, I will immediately step down," he said, adding that in his view, “a politician who has lived with power as their goal can neither initiate nor complete a constitutional amendment."

In his speech, Han argued that South Korea’s system lacks a constitutional mechanism in which "the executive and legislative branches can cooperate without conflict," which he believes will help the economy, reforms in various fields and society.

“I pursued dialogue and cooperation during my term as prime minister, but the constitutional framework made meaningful results impossible," he said.

Han also pledged to address urgent trade issues, including US President Donald Trump's tariffs, highlighting his experiences as trade minister, finance minister, ambassador to the US and prime minister.

"As a proud public servant of the Republic of Korea, I have lived my entire life on the front lines of economic development," he said. “I have dealt with these issues longer than anyone and continue to engage with experts and officials in Washington. I will resolve the ongoing trade friction with the United States," he added.

Han recently emerged as a potential conservative presidential contender to challenge Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the liberal Democratic Party and the front-runner with a wide lead over the entire field of candidates.

Until stepping down on Thursday, the long-time bureaucrat served as both acting president and prime minister following the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol for declaring martial law on the country on Dec. 3. Han, Yoon's appointee as prime minister, was also impeached by the National Assembly on Dec. 14, but was reinstated by the Constitutional Court in a majority ruling on March 24.

Meanwhile, Han did not clarify whether he would seek backing from either the conservative People Power Party or run as an independent. Instead, he said he was open to working with any candidate who shares his vision for constitutional reform.

The presidential contenders from the conservative bloc avoided giving a direct response to Han’s speech. Former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, one of the two finalists in the People Power Party’s presidential primary, said he would communicate with Han soon. Former party Chair Han Dong-hoon, the other finalist, stated that the former prime minister is not the candidate who will defeat Lee Jae-myung or the Democratic Party of Korea, and that he is.

A poll conducted April 28-30 by Embrain Public, KSTAT Research, Korea Research International and Hankook Research revealed that Rep. Lee Jae-myung continued to hold a commanding lead over other contenders in presidential suitability rankings with 42 percent, followed by Han Duck-soo with 13 percent. Han Dong-hoon received 9 percent support, Kim Moon-soo had 6 percent, and minor conservative Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok garnered 2 percent.