The Democratic Party of Korea is raising criticism against Han Duck-soo, the acting Prime Minister, amid rumors of his candidacy. In particular, as media reports about the presidential camp emerge, the party seems to be intensifying its offensive. The Democratic Party emphasizes that if Han runs for the presidency, he must be held accountable for violating his obligation of political neutrality.
Cho Seung-rae, the chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said on the 28th through a written briefing, “The timing of Han’s resignation and candidacy is being predicted, and now even the camp’s stance is being reported.” He noted, “If this is true, it is a clear violation of the political neutrality obligation and an attempt to engineer an election using state power.”
The spokesperson continued, “One media outlet reported that a friend of Han said, ‘Considering running to prevent this country from falling into a crisis where growth has stopped due to the emergence of the Lee Jae-myung administration.’ If this is not true, Han should not remain silent but should file a complaint for spreading false information. Silence is tantamount to a confession.”
He added, “It is astonishing that someone who has ruined the country along with the second-in-command of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is brazenly eyeing power.” He emphasized, “If Han lacks the will to manage the election fairly, he should resign immediately and be held accountable for his past actions.”
Noh Jong-myeon, the floor spokesperson for the Democratic Party, also criticized, “Han’s candidacy for the presidency is becoming a foregone conclusion.” He stated, “Han’s run would imply that he intends to continue unreasonable and shameless conduct at the expense of national governance chaos.”
Kim Young-bae, a Democratic Party member of the National Assembly’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and Unification, said during the second meeting of the trade security task force on that day, “Acting Prime Minister Han should stop hesitating and officially declare his decision not to run for president, and focus on creating a leverage for negotiations on tariffs with the U.S. based on the national interest, as citizens are watching closely.” He added, “He must do his utmost in his final public duty.”