South Korea: Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to not run for presidency

Seoul, April 12 (IANS) Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said on Saturday that he will not be running in the June 3 presidential election as he apologised over the "failure" of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's government.

Oh made the announcement at the conservative People Power Party's headquarters in western Seoul against expectations he would run for the upcoming election, triggered by Yoon's ouster over his failed martial law bid in December.

"To restore the abnormal back to normal, I will be the priming water, like a soldier without a rank," he said.

"I feel indescribable despair and infinite responsibility for the impeachment of the president our party produced."

"I humbly apologise for the halt to state affairs and bringing big disappointment to the people," he said. "No one in our party is free from responsibility for the failure of the Yoon Suk Yeol government."

He called on his party and presidential hopefuls to focus on growth and helping the underprivileged, vowing to support efforts to create a new government with those who share his goals, Yonhap news agency reported.

Multiple conservative politicians have announced their bids for the upcoming election, including former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo and former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon.

Meanwhile, the South Korean government designated June 3 as the date of the next presidential election following the ouster of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The designation was made at a Cabinet meeting four days after the Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of Yoon over his short-lived imposition of martial law in December.

Under the Constitution, the country is required to hold a new election within 60 days after a vacancy arises in the presidency.

The government also designated June 3 as a temporary public holiday.

The National Election Commission began early candidate registration shortly after the Constitutional Court dismissed Yoon last Friday.

Candidates will be required to register by May 11 and the official campaign period will kick off on May 12.

The law also requires a public servant running for President to resign at least 30 days before an election, making May 4 the deadline.

The new President will assume office immediately after the election without a transition team.

When former President Park Geun-hye was removed from office on March 10, 2017, the early election was also held exactly 60 days later, on May 9.

Meanwhile, Yoon, who dramatically rose from a top prosecutor to the presidency in about three years, became the nation's second President to be formally removed from office, with his surprise martial law bid rattling the nation for months and deepening political polarisation.

With the ruling, Yoon, 64, follows in the footsteps of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who was ousted in 2017 when the Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment over a corruption scandal.

--IANS

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