Han held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on the 8th of this month, and according to South Korean media, Trump also asked Han about his intention to run for office.
The question was asked. On the 4th of this month, the Constitutional Court of South Korea decided to impeach President Yoon Seok-yeol. Yoon was the first president of the opposition party to reject the budget proposal in December last year.
The government declared "emergency martial law" due to the response of the South Korean government to the situation. Emergency martial law is a type of martial law stipulated in the Korean Constitution. It is used in times of war or other emergency situations, when it is necessary for military purposes, or to maintain public order.
Although the state of emergency was lifted early, it caused chaos in Korean society and led to instability in domestic politics. Opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, have criticized Yoon for "attempting to suspend the constitutional order."
The National Assembly submitted a motion to impeach Yoon, accusing him of violating the Constitution by saying he had "committed an attempted civil war with a view to seizing permanent power." The motion was passed in December last year with 204 votes in favor and 85 against.
The bill was passed. As a result, Yoon was suspended from his duties. With the bill passed, the Constitutional Court will decide within six months whether to dismiss Yoon or reinstate him. On the 4th of this month, the Constitutional Court decided to dismiss Yoon.
The ruling stated that impeachment was appropriate. As a result, a presidential election was scheduled to be held on June 3rd. Prime Minister Han is currently acting as president.
Han issued a statement to the nation, saying, "I take very seriously the unfortunate situation of the second sitting president in constitutional history being impeached," and added, "As acting president, I will continue to take care of national security and
"We will maintain a robust security system so that there is no diplomatic vacuum," he said. He also called on the political world and the National Assembly to "gather their strength and wisdom for the future of the Republic of Korea."
With Yoon's impeachment, a presidential election will be held within 60 days, and the voting date has recently been set for June 3. Politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties have announced their candidacy one after another.
The presidential election is in full swing, with many people voting in favor of Lee Jae-myung, the former head of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, and others, the most suitable candidate for the next president.
He is gaining support by a wide margin. Meanwhile, the news agency Yonhap News reported on the 10th that "there are voices within the former ruling party, the People's Power Party, calling for Prime Minister Han Deok-soo (75) to run for president.
According to Yonhap, Hwang Woo-yo, the party's election commissioner, said on a radio program the same day, "Maybe some of the lawmakers are saying things like that.
"I think that's what he's doing," he said, acknowledging the movement to nominate Han. In a phone interview, one lawmaker said that many lawmakers were calling for Han to run, and that "he should personally go and encourage him to run."
"There are also voices saying, 'I want to see Han run.'" Another lawmaker said it was true that there were many lawmakers within the party who wanted Han to run.
Han spoke with US President Donald Trump by phone on the 8th.
This is the first time the two leaders have met since the inauguration of the President of the ROK government. Han said that he would discuss security issues, such as strengthening the US-ROK alliance, Japan-US-ROK cooperation, and how to respond to the North Korea issue, as well as trade and other issues, including mutual tariffs between the US and the ROK.
The two sides discussed the issue of trade disputes and cooperation in the shipbuilding sector. The Trump administration is planning to impose a 25% reciprocal tariff on imports from South Korea, and this issue is also thought to have come up in the talks.
According to the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, the phone call proceeded in a friendly atmosphere. The newspaper said, "In keeping with the formality of a phone call between leaders, the meeting was held initially with an official interpreter present.
As the talks progressed, Han began speaking in English himself. President Trump praised Han's English as "beautiful English," and the atmosphere of the talks became more relaxed.
The South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo also reported, citing a source, that during the meeting, Trump asked Han if he would run for president.
Han responded, "There are various demands and situations, so I'm thinking about it. Nothing has been decided yet." Trump has been known to prioritize his own views and try to take the lead in the negotiations.
However, this was not the case this time around, and according to Yonhap News Agency, Kwon Yong-se, head of the People Power Party and chairman of the emergency response committee, said, "There was no direct communication between the leaders of the two countries.
"Acting President Han's response was extremely effective and appropriate in that it paved the way for a breakthrough in trade diplomacy through this agreement."
After his meeting with Han, Trump wrote on his social media that he made a "great deal."
"There is a possibility that the United States may negotiate with South Korea on trade and security issues," he said. The new South Korean leader to be chosen in June is expected to be able to respond appropriately to the tougher import tariffs announced by Trump.
Meanwhile, according to Yonhap, a source in the South Korean Prime Minister's Office said, "The acting president (Han) is concentrating on running the nation's affairs and has kept quiet about running for president."
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2025/04/15 10:26 KST
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