South Korea's acting President Han Duck Soo resigns ahead of election

Han Duck Soo, the acting president and prime minister of South Korea, announced his resignation on Thursday, fuelling speculation that he may run in the country's upcoming presidential election.

In a live televised address, the 75-year-old conservative politician said he was resigning from his roles but hoped to "take on even greater responsibility" in the future.

While Han did not confirm his intentions, South Korean media widely interpreted the move as a signal he will enter the June 3 race.

Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang Mok is now acting president.

Han has been the prime minister since 2022. He assumed the presidency in an acting capacity after Yoon Suk Yeol was suspended as president following his sudden declaration of martial law on December 3, citing vague threats from political opponents.

The martial law declaration, which was only in effect for a few hours before it was rescinded, threw South Korean politics into disarray.

The Constitutional Court has ruled in early April that Yoon abused his power and permanently removed him from office. That decision set the clock running on the presidential election, which must take place within 60 days of the seat becoming vacant.

While the high court settled the question of whether he could be reinstated president, the legal battles for Yoon are nowhere close to over.

Prosecutors on Thursday announced that an additional charge of abuse of power was being brought against him. They had already indicted Yoon for insurrection over his imposition of martial law.

If convicted, Yoon faces life imprisonment; theoretically, the death penalty is also possible, but South Korea has not executed someone in decades.

On Wednesday, a team of investigators from the prosecutor's office raided the private residence of Yoon and his wife in the South Korean capital, Seoul.