South Korea's former PM seeks distance from martial law in election bid

7/5/2025 16:40

South Korea's former prime minister Han Duck-soo stressed on Wednesday he opposed ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law decree, but decried political polarisation as he sought to win the ruling party's candidacy in a looming election.



The conservative People Power Party is divided over whether to defend or condemn Yoon's martial law, which was deemed unconstitutional by a top court, and Han says he is seeking to unify it behind his candidacy for the June 3 presidential poll.



The conservative People Power Party selected former labour minister Kim Moon-soo as its candidate earlier this month, but Han announced his entry into the presidential race last week.



The party is a long-shot to win against the former opposition liberal Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung.



"I was always against martial law," Han told reporters on Wednesday, but decried more than 30 impeachments levied by the Lee-led opposition.



While Yoon cited those impeachments as among the factors justifying his decree, Han said martial law could never be the cure to such political ills.