Han Duck-Soo Exits South Korea Presidential Race, Opening Door for Competitor Kim Moon-soo

Han Duck-Soo, the acting president of South Korea, has withdrawn from the presidential contest as conservatives support Kim in the June 3 poll.

Han Duck-soo, the acting president and former prime minister of South Korea, announced his decision to resign from the conservative People Power Party’s (PPP) presidential nomination battle on Sunday, just days before the nation’s snap election.

He withdrew after a week of growing internal strife and fruitless efforts to bring the conservative camp together. Members voted on Saturday to approve Kim Moon-soo as the party’s official nominee, ending rumors that Han would take his place because of his wider popularity.

“I humbly accept everything,” Han said in a brief statement on Sunday, adding that he hoped Kim would win the poll on June 3.

Han had only just entered the race, upending a previous agreement with Kim, and his late entry caused discord in the party. Throughout the week, the two men’s attempts to present a unified conservative front fell apart.

Kim positioned himself as the conservative opponent of opposition Democratic Party frontrunner Lee Jae-myung by formally registering as the PPP’s presidential candidate on Sunday morning.

Following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s dramatic impeachment in April, the snap election was held. This came after Yeol enforced a brief and very contentious period of martial law in December, which MPs later determined was a flagrant violation of his presidential duties.

The conservative bloc’s longtime nemesis and former governor, Lee Jae-myung, is now leading the polls and is anticipated to gain from the right-wing vote’s fragmentation.

Kim, who was chosen in a party conference the week before, had resisted increasing pressure to cede his post to Han, even though Han was thought to be electable. While still prime minister, Han first refused to participate in the nomination process; he only changed his mind a few days prior to the internal vote. In order to prevent a divided electorate that would give Lee the victory, the PPP is hoping that Han’s departure will unite conservative support behind Kim.