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.
Mongolia’s Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority and the Korea Gas Safety Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding on April 29, 2025, to enhance cooperation on flammable gas safety.
South Korea has won a landmark $18.2 billion contract to build two nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic—its first overseas nuclear power project in 16 years—signaling a renewed push into Europe's growing energy market.
South Korea’s Supreme Court reinstated election-law charges against liberal frontrunner Lee Jae-myung on Thursday, suddenly jeopardizing his candidacy in June’s snap presidential election.
South Korea’s Supreme Court will rule Thursday on an election-law case that could knock liberal frontrunner Lee Jae-myung off the June 3 presidential ballot, even as acting leader Han Duck-soo prepares to resign and enter the race.
Over 1,200 residents in Daegu, South Korea, were evacuated Monday as strong winds fueled a wildfire that spread across 50 hectares, forcing a highway closure. No casualties have been reported as firefighting efforts continue.
Poland’s top diplomat in Berlin has criticized Germany’s incoming government for its plan to impose stricter border controls, warning that such measures could disrupt daily cross-border traffic and strain the EU internal market.
Transitioning to green agriculture requires a fundamental shift in budget priorities, sustainable practices, and consumer behavior, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) emphasized at the 4th Agribusiness Development Forum held in Baku
A massive undersea quake near Antarctica triggered tsunami alerts, prompting Chile to order evacuations along its southern coast.
On the sidelines of the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy, Parviz Shahbazov, held bilateral meetings with Bulgarian Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov and Romanian Energy Minister Sebastian-Ioan Burduja.
TikTok was fined 530 million euros ($600 million) by its lead EU privacy regulator on Friday over concerns on how it protects user information and was ordered to suspend data transfers to China if its processing is not brought into compliance within six months.
A deadly explosion at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port has left at least 40 dead, with more than 1,200 people injured, state media reported on Sunday, halting operations at one of the country’s most vital trade hubs.
A vehicle crashed into a crowd at a Filipino festival in Vancouver, killing 11 and injuring dozens.
North Korea has launched a new 5,000-tonne destroyer as part of Kim Jong Un’s plans to expand the country’s naval power far beyond its coastal waters.
A massive explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Iran on Saturday killed at least four people and injured nearly 600 others, officials said, prompting an urgent government investigation.
New Tesla registrations in Denmark collapsed 67 % in April to 180 vehicles, industry data showed Thursday, underscoring a sharp demand drop for the EV maker in one of its once-strong European markets.
Poland’s top diplomat in Berlin has criticized Germany’s incoming government for its plan to impose stricter border controls, warning that such measures could disrupt daily cross-border traffic and strain the EU internal market.
A massive undersea quake near Antarctica triggered tsunami alerts, prompting Chile to order evacuations along its southern coast.
TikTok was fined 530 million euros ($600 million) by its lead EU privacy regulator on Friday over concerns on how it protects user information and was ordered to suspend data transfers to China if its processing is not brought into compliance within six months.
Luxembourg announced an additional €21 million in support for Ukraine, comprising €10 million for the energy sector, €10 million in military assistance, and €1 million for the Olena Zelenska Foundation.
Ukraine's parliament will hold a vote on May 8 to ratify a minerals deal signed with the United States earlier this week, a lawmaker said on Friday, while two other documents pertaining to the agreement will not need to be ratified.
Poland’s top diplomat in Berlin has criticized Germany’s incoming government for its plan to impose stricter border controls, warning that such measures could disrupt daily cross-border traffic and strain the EU internal market.
Transitioning to green agriculture requires a fundamental shift in budget priorities, sustainable practices, and consumer behavior, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) emphasized at the 4th Agribusiness Development Forum held in Baku
A massive undersea quake near Antarctica triggered tsunami alerts, prompting Chile to order evacuations along its southern coast.
On the sidelines of the Istanbul Natural Resources Summit, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy, Parviz Shahbazov, held bilateral meetings with Bulgarian Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov and Romanian Energy Minister Sebastian-Ioan Burduja.
TikTok was fined 530 million euros ($600 million) by its lead EU privacy regulator on Friday over concerns on how it protects user information and was ordered to suspend data transfers to China if its processing is not brought into compliance within six months.
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