Journalist
Dr. Tack Whan Kim
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
-
Conservatives weigh unification strategy as Han Duck-soo enters race SEOUL, May 02 (AJP) - Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s presidential bid is prompting a strategic rethink across South Korea’s conservative bloc, as leaders weigh the risks and rewards of unifying behind a single candidate before official registration begins next week. The 75-year-old former Prime Minister formally declared his candidacy on Friday, offering a transitional vision centered on constitutional reform. “I will form a presidential task force on constitutional reform on day one,” he said at the National Assembly. “In my third year, I will hold a new presidential and general election under the revised constitution, and immediately resign from office.” His entry into the race comes at a moment of political volatility. President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached earlier this year after declaring martial law without notice last December. Han, who had been acting president, resigned on Thursday to run. His expected successor, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, also stepped down after facing an impeachment motion. Education Minister Lee Ju-ho took over as acting president on May 2. Now, with just days until candidate registration on May 10 and 11, the People Power Party (PPP) must quickly decide how to respond. A party convention on May 3 will determine whether former labor minister Kim Moon-soo or former justice minister Han Dong-hoon becomes the party’s official nominee, an outcome that could define the course of any conservative consolidation effort. Kim has openly supported unification talks with Han Duck-soo. He has proposed holding a debate and conducting public polling as a mechanism to select a single candidate, and said he would seek a meeting with Han if nominated. “If I become the official PPP candidate, I’ll offer a more responsible position,” Kim said Friday. “We’ll be in touch.” Han Dong-hoon, meanwhile, struck a sharply different tone. Speaking to reporters at Masan Fish Market in the southern port city of Changwon on Friday, the former justice minister dismissed Han Duck-soo’s chances of defeating Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung. “In this do-or-die dog fight, he is not the one who can beat Lee,” he said. Han went on to say, “This is likely to turn into a mud fight. I don’t welcome that, but conservative politics should carry a sense of dignity. To me, dignity means stepping into the mud on behalf of the people and fighting injustice without letting the public get splashed.” He added, “Others may find that difficult. I’ll be the one to fight and win.” Despite the differences, party leaders remain keen to wrap up any unification process quickly. “As soon as registration ends, the campaign starts,” a senior PPP official told reporters Friday. “Voters need to know who our candidate is.” 2025-05-02 15:22:56 -
Han Duck-soo declares presidential run, pledges constitutional reform and early exit SEOUL, May 02 (AJP) - Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced his bid for the presidency on Friday, pledging to push forward a constitutional amendment and step down once the reform is in place. “I will form a presidential task force on constitutional reform on day one,” the 75-year-old former Prime Minister said during a press conference at the National Assembly. “In my third year, I will hold a new presidential and general election under the revised constitution, and immediately resign from office.” His announcement comes amid one of the most turbulent transitions in South Korea’s modern political history. President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached earlier this year after declaring emergency martial law without warning in December last year. The move, which included deploying troops to the National Assembly, triggered a political firestorm and eventually led to his removal from office. Han, who had been serving as acting president, resigned Thursday to join the race. His expected successor, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, also stepped down after the National Assembly introduced an impeachment motion against him. That left Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, also Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs, as the nation’s acting president starting May 2. The sudden exits of both Han and Choi have created a visible leadership vacuum, prompting questions about cabinet authority and constitutional procedure. Han said he would work to finalize a reform bill within his first year and complete the amendment in the second. “I won’t dictate the details,” he said. “That’s up to the National Assembly and the people. But I will set the direction: checks and balances, and a shift toward decentralization.” He also criticized what he called the toxic state of domestic politics. “Politics focused on personal or factional gain, not the nation’s future, has reached a dangerous level,” he said. “We cannot allow reckless infighting to drag this country down.” 2025-05-02 10:28:21 -
Education Minister Lee Ju-ho steps in as acting president amid leadership shake-up SEOUL, May 02 (AJP) - South Korea entered unfamiliar political territory on Friday as Education Minister Lee Ju-ho assumed the role of acting president, following the sudden resignations of both Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok. Han, who had been serving as acting president, stepped down to run in the upcoming presidential election. Choi, the expected successor, also resigned after the Democratic Party (DP)-led National Assembly introduced an impeachment motion against him. This unprecedented succession crisis stems from the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol in early April, after he abruptly declared emergency martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. The controversial move, which included the deployment of military forces to the National Assembly, triggered public outrage and swift backlash from the opposition. Yoon’s impeachment was followed by a cascade of political instability, leading to a series of acting leadership appointments. With both Han and Choi out of the picture, Lee Ju-ho, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs, took on the role of acting head of state as of midnight Friday. The rare situation, where the acting president, his presumptive successor, and the eventual successor were all temporary officeholders, has sparked constitutional debate. Critics have questioned the legality of cabinet meetings given the reduced number of ministers, but government officials say current conditions still meet constitutional requirements. Lee’s first move as acting president was to convene an emergency National Security Council meeting, signaling continuity in leadership amid the transition. He pledged to uphold political stability and ensure that the presidential election, set for June 3, proceeds in a fair and orderly manner. A veteran in education policy, Lee previously served as education minister under the Lee Myung-bak administration and returned to the post in 2022 under President Yoon Suk Yeol. Known for his reform-minded approach and background in economics, he has long been a fixture in government education circles. With just weeks to go until voters head to the polls, the fast-moving leadership shuffle underscores the uncertainty and fluidity of South Korea’s political landscape at a pivotal moment. 2025-05-02 10:04:17 -
INTERVIEW: Pastor calls for dialogue and compassion toward LGBTQ community SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - Even when minds do not change, Pastor Lee Dong-hwan believes dialogue can move hearts. “If we can at least open a conversation and listen to each other, even without changing our opinions, that itself is meaningful,” he said during an interview with AJP at his office in central Seoul. Lee recalled a three-hour phone call he had with a conservative media figure. “We didn’t end up changing each other’s minds, but we respected each other. That conversation alone was meaningful,” he said. Lee is no stranger to controversy. Once a minister under the Korean Methodist Church (KMC), he faced suspension and eventual expulsion after offering a blessing to LGBTQ individuals at the 2019 Incheon Queer Culture Festival. His journey had started earlier, when a member of his congregation came out to him, forcing him to confront contradictions within the faith he had long practiced. In the aftermath, he founded “Queer and A,” an organization dedicated to advancing LGBTQ rights within Protestant Christianity. In 2022, Amnesty International Korea awarded him a merit prize for his activism. Within South Korea’s Christian community, attitudes toward LGBTQ people remain deeply divided. “They say, ‘Look, the Bible clearly says it’s a sin,’” Lee said. “But the Bible must be read within its historical context. If we took every word literally, we would also have to uphold slavery and treat women as property.” For Lee, Christianity’s core teachings are not about clinging to ancient prohibitions. “Love, justice, and peace — those are the truths we are called to live by,” he said. He believes Christians have a responsibility to stand with marginalized groups, not turn away from them. “If we truly believe that every person is created by God and that God's love has no mistakes, then we must recognize and respect LGBTQ people exactly as they are,” Lee said. Lee also spoke about the broader battle for the Anti-Discrimination Act, a law designed to protect marginalized groups but long stalled in the National Assembly. “We need it,” he said plainly. Yet some Christian groups remain fiercely opposed, warning it could infringe upon religious freedom and punish dissent. “But we are a nation with church and state separated,” Lee said. “It’s troubling that religious pressure is blocking basic human rights.” He shared that politicians often tread carefully, fearing backlash from mega-churches. “In local elections, even a swing of 50 to 100 votes matters,” he said. “When a pastor with 5,000 or 10,000 followers says they’ll organize against you, it’s a big threat.” Lee sees today’s Protestant churches standing at a crossroads. “Membership is shrinking, trust is collapsing, but instead of reflecting, they cling even harder to outdated narratives,” he said. “They use LGBTQ issues like a weapon to keep their followers united.” Yet, he holds onto a cautious optimism. “Younger Christians are different,” he said. “Change will come faster in society than in churches. Inside the churches, it will take decades, not just ten years.” For Lee, engagement remains non-negotiable. “Even if someone believes homosexuality is a sin, that’s no reason for hatred,” he said. “Respect, compassion, and openness should be Christian virtues.” He often reflects on what Jesus would do today. “If Jesus were among us now, he would be eating, drinking, and walking alongside the marginalized,” Lee said. “If we ask ourselves who Jesus would be with today, it would be the social minorities. The fired workers, the disabled, and the LGBTQ community. Christians must be on their side.” Looking back on his first participation in the Queer Culture Festival, Lee smiled. “At first, I just went to fill in. I didn’t think much of it,” he admitted. “But when I scattered the flowers during blessings and saw everyone’s faces light up, I realized — this is what a pastor should do.” Since then, he has never missed the festival, seeing it as a rare moment where walls fall away and simple human joy takes over. “There’s no reason to withhold blessings from anyone,” he said. “They are all God’s children.” As Pride month approaches, Lee admitted he sometimes worries that his battles bring an unwanted seriousness to a day meant for celebration. But he remains determined. “Fighting for change inside the church is fighting for change in the world,” he said. “It may take ten, twenty years or more. But I believe a better day will come. I hope it will be a truly happy Pride.” 2025-04-29 13:37:10