South Korea’s Prime Minister and Acting President Han Duck-soo has resigned and announced his presidential bid, pledging to shorten his term to three years in order to pursue constitutional reform and apply his economic expertise to address the ongoing trade crisis.
"I ultimately decided to step down from my position in order to do what I can, do what I must, for us to overcome the crisis we face," Han said, as cited by Yonhap.
Han made his announcement at the National Assembly, just one month before voters head to the polls on June 3 to elect a successor to impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok is now supposed to take on the role of the country’s acting president. He served in the position between December 2024 and March 2025.
Han, who previously served as prime minister under both liberal and conservative administrations and as South Korea’s ambassador to the United States, pledged to make an immediate push to amend the Constitution.
Outlining a detailed roadmap, Han said he would aim to draft an amendment proposal in his first year, finalize it in the second, and hold both general and presidential elections under the new Constitution in the third—after which he would step down.
“The key goal of amending the Constitution,” Han stated, “is for the president and the National Assembly to share power amid checks and balances—eliminating the juridification of politics and the politicization of the judiciary, and sincerely contributing to the national interest and public welfare through the institutionalization of cooperative governance and effective administration.”
Han also pledged to resolve current trade issues triggered in part by Washington's new tariff policy by drawing on his experience leading multiple trade negotiations to success.
He further promised to work for national unity and inclusion of the socially weak and marginalized.
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South Korean workers manufacturing chips for Samsung Electronics are set to vote on a pay deal that could see some of them receive $416,000 in bonuses.
A government-mediated agreement has suspended an 18-day walkout by about 48,000 Samsung union members, easing fears of damage to South Korea's economy and global chip supply.
South Korea’s Samsung Electronics is facing its largest potential labour action in years, with tens of thousands of workers preparing for a prolonged strike over bonuses and profit-sharing at a time when the company is benefiting from a global artificial intelligence (AI) driven chip boom.
Samsung Electronics' union plans for 48,000 workers to walk off the job on Thursday (21 May) after efforts to clinch a deal on bonus payments fell through, threatening the health of South Korea's economy and the global supply of semiconductors.
A group of Azerbaijani civil society organisations has called for increased scrutiny of Swiss building materials giant Holcim, citing court rulings and ongoing investigations linked to its subsidiary Lafarge's activities during the Syrian conflict.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says ongoing conflict, funding pressures and international travel restrictions are complicating efforts to contain a fast-growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Thai rescuers say five people have been pulled alive from a flooded cave in remote Laos, where seven villagers became trapped after heavy rain cut off access underground.
Russia and Kazakhstan signed 15 agreements during President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Astana on Thursday (28 May), including deals on Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant and expanded oil cooperation with Russia.
The Philippines remains under a "severe threat" from China despite recent efforts by Washington and Beijing to ease tensions, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday (30 May).
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has urged Asian allies to increase military spending, warning of growing concern over China’s rapid military expansion and wider activities in the region.
Thai rescuers say five people have been pulled alive from a flooded cave in remote Laos, where seven villagers became trapped after heavy rain cut off access underground.
Three Latvian climbers have died after falling on Mount McKinley in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve, authorities and a Latvian climbing organisation have said
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 30 May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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