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Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announces his candidacy for the presidency during a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on May 2. / Source: Yonhap News

Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo officially declared his candidacy for the 21st presidential election on May 2, vowing to devote his presidency to achieving constitutional reform and promising to resign once it is complete.

Speaking at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Han said, “I pledge three things—first and foremost, constitutional reform.” He announced plans to establish a "presidential commission for constitutional reform" on his first day in office, with the goal of completing the reform process within three years.

“I will draft a constitutional amendment in my first year, finalize it in the second, and hold general and presidential elections under the new constitution in the third year—after which I will step down,” he said.

Han emphasized that while the specifics of the reform would be shaped through debate in the National Assembly and among the public, he would advocate for a core principle of separation and balance of power through decentralization.

“Our constitution, revised in 1987, is now 38 years old. It no longer reflects the rapidly changing times or the will of the people,” he said. “If we miss this opportunity, another may never come.”

He criticized past administrations and politicians for backing away from constitutional reform when political self-interest intervened, stating, “Those who have pursued power cannot be trusted to initiate or complete constitutional reform.”

Concluding his announcement, Han said his career in public service uniquely qualifies him to lead swift and meaningful reform. “What I envision is a new constitutional foundation where the president and National Assembly share power through checks and balances, where politicization of the judiciary ends, and where cooperative governance and administrative efficiency serve the true interests of the people and the nation.”