Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo will step down on Apr. 8 to declare his candidacy for an early presidential election.
Kim currently ranks first in public opinion polls among potential candidates in the broader conservative bloc, while former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn has also signaled his intention to enter the race.”
According to political sources, Kim plans to offer his resignation during a Cabinet meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. at the government complex in central Seoul. A farewell ceremony is expected to follow at 3 p.m. Kim is preparing to shift his focus fully to the presidential race once he leaves his post.
“There’s a strong chance he will express his intention to run for president immediately after the Cabinet meeting and move forward with the resignation process,” a person close to Kim said.
A source within the People Power Party noted that Kim, who is not currently a registered member of the party, may seek to rejoin after stepping down as minister.
Kim, who has been an outspoken critic of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment, met with supporters on Apr. 5 outside his home in Seoul’s Gwanak-gu (district). The group had gathered to encourage him to enter the race.
Kim said he felt both sorry and grateful that the situation had led his supporters to urge him to run, adding that while he had no personal ambition, the country could not continue down its current path.
Hwang, meanwhile, has also declared his intention to run for president, though he plans to do so as an independent after leaving the People Power Party.
“I’ll leave the People Power Party tomorrow and announce my candidacy for the presidential election,” Hwang said on Apr. 8.
He added that South Korea was in the midst of a war over its political system and argued that safeguarding the country’s democracy would require rooting out what he described as election fraud.
As for his decision to break from the party, Hwang said, “There’s no way to win under the People Power Party. I’m setting out on a new path—one that leads to victory.”
