SEOUL, May 10 (AJP) - Han Duck-soo, the newly designated presidential candidate of the People Power Party (PPP), called for party unity and national reconciliation during a press conference held at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday as the party pressed forward with its decision to replace former labor minister Kim Moon-soo amid deep internal division and legal wrangling.
“I never once dreamed of running for president,” Han said in his opening remarks. “But I came to believe over the past three years that unless we change politics, there is no future for this country.”
His speech came just hours after the PPP officially began the process of switching its presidential candidate from Kim to Han through an emergency decision by the party’s leadership and election commission. The party cited Article 74-2 of its constitution to justify the move and launched a full-member vote, with final ratification by the national committee set for May 11.
Han was formally registered as the new candidate during a tightly controlled one-hour registration window held between 3 and 4 a.m., while Kim Moon-soo, stripped of his nomination, denounced the process as a “political coup” and vowed legal action. Kim filed an injunction Saturday morning seeking to suspend the decision.
At the press conference, Han expressed regret over the conflict and pledged to move forward without hostility. “I sincerely apologize to the people and to party members for the confusion,” he said. “I will embrace everyone, including candidate Kim Moon-soo and his supporters. We all share the same desire for victory.”
Han emphasized that he had no ambition to hold power for himself and pledged to focus his campaign on constitutional reform and economic recovery. “I have no belief that I must hold every authority,” he said. “I am here only because I believe we must win.”
The veteran former prime minister sharply criticized the opposition, saying South Korea could not afford to be ruled by “those who reverse themselves in the afternoon after promising reforms in the morning,” or who “threaten impeachment whenever rulings do not go their way.” He warned that unchecked power concentrated across all branches of government would ultimately destroy the economy.
Han also downplayed his own political role, saying, “I am just a stepping stone. I want others to step over me and carry us into the next era.” He said his only ideology was preserving the nation’s economic foundation, adding, “I will do my duty to this country until the day I die.”
As the PPP continues its internal vote and braces for legal fallout from Kim’s camp, Han’s remarks signal an attempt to cool tensions and rally support ahead of the June 3 presidential election.
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The following is the full transcript of Han Duck-soo’s statement as delivered during the May 10 press conference:
"Dear citizens and fellow party members,
I am Han Duck-soo. Never in my life have I dreamed of running for president.
But I decided to run because over the past three years, I’ve come to feel deeply that our politics must change.
Without change, no matter who takes power, our country has no future. The conflicts and confusion we are facing now will only repeat.
We must win. Everyone knows that. But winning is not easy. To win, we must unite and let go of ourselves.
I let go of everything when I entered this race. I never believed that only I could do this—not in the past, not now, not ever. I’ve never believed that I must hold all authority.
We must all come together. The party should be led by those who have long dedicated themselves to its cause.
I intend to focus on constitutional reform and economic revival. I am running solely because I believe we must win.
Changing politics to save the economy and the country—that is my only goal, from beginning to end.
To achieve that, everyone must unite, and I must add my strength.
Unification is the will of the people.
Regardless of what has happened, I deeply apologize to the people and to our party members.
I will work to ensure that the public never has to witness news like this again.
I will embrace everyone. I will focus only on winning, and forget all that came before.
I’ve spent decades at negotiation tables. In every successful negotiation, the key is to leave behind the past.
I am the person who has done that longest in our country.
To candidate Kim Moon-soo, to his supporters, and to all other candidates—I know this has been a painful experience.
I believe we all share the same desire for victory. I will embrace you all. I will support and respect you all.
Let us move forward. Not for me, but for the people.
Let me be clear—our supreme task right now is winning the presidential election.
I have officially joined the People Power Party. I will give everything I have—my strength and my wisdom—for this cause.
Those who promise reform in the morning and reverse themselves by afternoon...
Those who celebrate favorable rulings but respond to unfavorable ones with impeachment threats...
Those who propose massive supplementary budgets after cutting core expenditures…
Those who push for impeachment regardless of how the country is doing—even talk of impeaching the Chief Justice without shame...
Such people must not be allowed to take power. We cannot let them control the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary without checks.
The economy will not survive it. The country will not survive it.
South Korea did not rise easily. It was built through sweat and hardship.
But it can fall easily. Several countries in Latin America were once prosperous.
Some say I am a conservative, some say I am a centrist or a progressive.
I have only one ideology: this economy we built so painstakingly must not be stopped.
To save the economy, we must change politics.
If that means winning, I will become Kim Duck-soo, Hong Duck-soo, Ahn Duck-soo, or even Na Duck-soo.
All of them are needed and will play big roles.
I am just a short-lived stepping stone. I came to serve that role.
I sincerely hope they step on my back to carry this country into a better future.
Let us unite—not for any one of us, but for our economy and our people.
Let us carry them forward on the grandest palanquin.
Until my last day, I want to fulfill my duty to the country and people I have served for 50 years.
I will carry everyone with me. I firmly believe that in their hearts, we all think the same.
Thank you."
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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