Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
D-50 to vote: Chaos intensifies as Han Duck-soo’s candidacy fades
Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo heads to the podium to deliver a commemorative speech during the 106th anniversary ceremony for the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea at the National Memorial Hall in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
By Bahk Eun-ji
Parties race to finalize candidates for Korea’s snap presidential election
With only 50 days left until Korea’s snap presidential election, the country’s two major political parties are struggling to finalize their candidates.
Within the People Power Party (PPP), calls for acting President Han Duck-soo to enter the race have diminished, as caution grows within the party and Han remains silent. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is facing backlash over primary rules that are seen as favoring former leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung.
As the June 3 election date approaches, political tensions are escalating within both camps.
Early momentum to draft Han as a candidate has mostly dissipated. Initially, several lawmakers supported his candidacy, viewing him as a centrist who could unite the divided party and appeal to moderate voters. However, party leadership intervened, canceling a planned public statement urging him to run out of concern that premature endorsements might exacerbate internal divisions.
Although no clear frontrunner has emerged within the PPP, some consider Han a strong challenger to face Lee. With degrees in economics from Seoul National University and Harvard University and a long career as a technocrat, Han is seen as well-suited to guide the country through ongoing global trade challenges. His calm, moderate demeanor, experience serving under both the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations and his roots in South Jeolla Province — a southwestern region traditionally seen as a DPK stronghold — are also viewed as valuable assets.
Han has remained silent, saying he is focused on his current duties. With less than two months left before the election, he would face formidable challenges in organizing a campaign, securing funding and building broader public recognition. His longstanding image as a bureaucrat rather than a politician complicates his prospects.
Regional committee chairs of the People Power Party from South Jeolla Province hold a press conference at the National Assembly's communication center in Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday, urging acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to run for president. Yonhap
Meanwhile, former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon and Rep. Na Kyung-won have all announced their candidacies, but none has gained significant momentum. As the election nears, the PPP faces increasing pressure to quickly unite behind a strong candidate. Analysts warn that prolonged internal divisions could severely weaken the party’s chances during the shortened campaign period.
The PPP suffered further setbacks as key moderate figures bowed out of the race.
Former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min announced on Sunday that he would not participate in the PPP primary. In a Facebook post, Yoo criticized the party for "resigning itself to defeat" and "resisting change to protect their privileges," although he stopped short of ruling out an independent presidential bid.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon also announced his decision not to run for president at an unexpected press conference on Saturday, a day before his planned candidacy announcement.
"For the normalization of our politics, I will step aside and help pave the way," Oh said, emphasizing the need to break from what he described as the "old conservatism" and open a path toward a new conservative vision.
The two announcements further deepened divisions within the PPP, especially among moderates, and raised fresh concerns about the party’s ability to broaden its appeal and build momentum ahead of the election. With mounting speculation about drafting Han as an outside candidate, the party now faces increasing difficulty in unifying its ranks.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon leaves the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, Saturday. He declared that he would not run in the presidential election. Yonhap
The DPK is facing its own internal turbulence.
After the Constitutional Court’s removal of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, Lee quickly resigned from his party leadership post and announced his presidential bid. With a platform focused on pragmatism and growth, Lee has established himself as the clear frontrunner.
However, Lee’s intra-party rivals have criticized the party’s newly revised primary rules, which give equal weight to votes from party members and the general public. Critics such as former lawmaker Kim Du-kwan and Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Dong-yeon argue that the new system unfairly favors Lee by dampening competition and discouraging broader participation. They have raised concerns that the revised rules will all but determine the outcome in advance, undermining the primary’s legitimacy.
Despite the criticism, Lee’s momentum appears unstoppable.
Recent court rulings in his favor have alleviated concerns about his legal vulnerabilities, removing a significant obstacle for his campaign. Within the DPK, there is a growing sense that, barring any major surprises, Lee is likely to secure the nomination without facing serious opposition.
Observers say both major parties must quickly mend internal rifts if they hope to stay competitive in the fast-approaching election. With the official campaign period set to begin soon, presenting a unified front and consolidating voter support will be critical to determining the outcome on June 3.