Will acting president to run for 'real' presidency?

By Yi Whan-woo

Hwang Kyo-ahn

Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn has emerged as a potential presidential candidate for the conservatives, but there are some crucial questions about his eligibility.

The ruling Saenuri Party is considering simplifying internal rules on picking its presidential candidate in an apparent bid to recruit Hwang, according to party officials Sunday.

This is to boost the chances of Hwang, a career bureaucrat who does not have a support base within the party, and to save time in selecting the party’s candidate.

Hwang must step down from his post at least 30 days before the election if he wishes to compete, according to experts.

The date for the election, however, remains uncertain as it will depend on the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the National Assembly’s impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.

Critics claim it will not be legitimate for Hwang to run in the presidential race. They said Hwang has continued to serve the Park administration since it began in February 2013 and therefore has some responsibility for the influence-peddling scandal surrounding Park and her friend Choi Soon-sil. Hwang was Park’s justice minister from February 2013 to June 2015, before being appointed prime minister.

“It should not be forgotten that Hwang was at the center of the scandal,” said main opposition Democratic Party of Korea spokeswoman Park Kyung-mee.

Some other critics pointed out that Yoo Il-ho, the minister of strategy and finance, who doubles as the deputy prime minister for economic affairs, would need to serve as acting president and acting prime minister if Hwang steps down and runs for the presidency. Yoo is the next highest-ranking Cabinet member after Hwang.

“Hwang’s potential presidential bid will lead to chaos in state affairs,” said Rep. Chang Je-won of the Bareun Party, a breakaway group from the Saenuri Party. “Moreover, Yoo will have an excessively long job title which will be ridiculed internationally.”