S. Korea”s Former Prime Minister Declares Presidential Bid
Seoul, May 02 (QNA) – South Korea”s former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo declared his bid for president Friday, vowing to cut short his term to three years in order to amend the Constitution.
Han”s announcement at the National Assembly came one month before voters head to the polls on June 3 to pick a successor to impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Even before entering the race, Han was a favorite among conservatives to challenge current front-runner Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the liberal Democratic Party, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Until his resignation Thursday, Han served as acting president and prime minister in the months following Yoon”s short-lived imposition of martial law in December.
Han, who was prime minister under both liberal and conservative presidents and also served as the South Korean ambassador to the United States, said he will make three promises to the people, including an immediate amendment to the Constitution.
The aim will be to craft an amendment proposal in his first year in office, finalize the amendment in the second year, hold general and presidential elections in the third year in line with the new Constitution, and then immediately step down.
The Constitution currently allows presidents to serve a single, five-year term, but under Han”s proposal, he would only serve three years.
The second promise was to resolve current trade issues triggered in part by Washington”s new tariff policy, while the third was to work for national unity, and the inclusion of the socially weak and marginalized. (QNA)
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