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Han Deok-soo, acting president and prime minister. / Source: Yonhap News

Prime Minister Han Deok-soo, currently serving as acting president, is increasingly expected to enter the presidential race, with reports indicating he has all but finalized his decision to run.

According to political sources on April 13, Han is weighing two potential paths: joining the ruling People Power Party’s (PPP) primary or running as an independent candidate. Entering the PPP primary would require him to announce his candidacy by April 15 and resign from his current position immediately — a move seen as politically sensitive given it has been only ten days since former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment.

The more likely scenario, sources say, is Han running as an independent. In this case, he would only need to step down by May 3, thirty days ahead of the election. This would allow him time to stabilize state affairs and present himself as a responsible interim leader. The idea of Han being drafted by the party or hailed as a national unity candidate is also gaining traction, strengthening the legitimacy of a later declaration of candidacy.

Han is said to have made his decision following a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump last week. During the call, Trump reportedly asked Han whether he would run, to which Han responded that he was “considering it.” Notably, Han’s office has not denied this report, though it has promptly refuted other details such as speculation about special envoys or trade issues being discussed during the call.

Multiple media outlets are now reporting that Han has virtually made up his mind, and the Prime Minister’s Office has chosen to remain silent. In contrast, it has quickly responded to other speculative reports, suggesting that the lack of denial reflects the seriousness of Han’s intent.

A “Chung Mong-joon model” of running as an independent candidate — named after the former lawmaker who once mounted a presidential bid outside party lines — is believed to be under serious consideration. A government official said, “It’s almost certain that Han will run. He’s more likely to follow the Chung Mong-joon path than participate in the PPP primary.”

Among the 50 PPP lawmakers who recently signed a statement urging Han to run, one noted that the wide support from conservative and centrist factions reflects a patriotic call that Han cannot ignore. “The backing of half the PPP members is a clear message urging him to run soon,” the lawmaker added.

Still, concerns remain that an independent run could fracture the conservative vote. Even if Han consolidates support through a unification deal against Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, some analysts believe it may not be enough to overcome the limitations of an independent campaign. In response, there is speculation the PPP may revise its rules to allow a unified candidate to run under the party’s banner.

Han may be calculating that completing his interim duties through early May and entering the race just a month before the election would still be enough to rally anti-Lee voters. With Lee leading unfavorable ratings among major candidates, Han's camp believes he could win over centrist and undecided voters.

A “Han vs. Lee” battle is shaping up to be the PPP’s final card to retain power in the face of back-to-back impeachments of conservative presidents.

Meanwhile, following Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s withdrawal from the race a day earlier, former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min also unexpectedly announced he would not run. This leaves figures like Kim Moon-soo, Na Kyung-won, Ahn Cheol-soo, Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, North Gyeongsang Governor Lee Cheol-woo, former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, and former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo to battle it out in the PPP primary.