The acting president of South Korea, Han Duck-soo, announced on Thursday that he was stepping down.

News of his resignation comes amid reports that he has his sights on the presidency, with South Korean media reporting that he will be launching his presidential campaign on Friday.

Han is being seen as a potential conservative standard bearer, with the main conservative People Power Party in turmoil following then-President Yoon Suk Yeol's imposition of martial law early in December, 2024.

Why is Han resigning?

Han justified his decision in a televised briefing on Thursday. He said he has "finally determined to put down my post to do what I can and what I have to help overcome the crises facing us." 

"I have two paths ahead of me. One is completing the heavy responsibility that I handle now. The other is putting down that responsibility and taking a heavier responsibility," Han said.

Han was appointed acting president after the opposition-controlled parliament voted to impeach Yoon, whose removal from office paved the way for the upcoming snap presidential election to be held on June 3.

Han was himself impeached after less than two weeks in the role after locking horns with the opposition, who accused him of failing to block Yoon's martial law declaration. He was reinstated in March after a court dismissed the decision.

He was also at odds with the opposition over his refusal to appoint three more justices to the Constitutional Court and for not supporting bills targeting Yoon and his wife Kim Keon Hee.

Education minister becomes new acting president

South Korean law required Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok to step in as acting president again after Han's resignation. Choi had already served as acting president while the cases of Yoon and Han were before the Constitutional Court.

However, he abruptly resigned himself after Parliament reopened impeachment proceedings against him for decisions he had previously made as acting president.

So Education Minister Lee, who by law is next in line to be the country's acting president, took the helm at midnight Thursday.

He ordered the military to remain on alert and vowed to lead the government in a stable manner, Korean media reported.

Democratic Party frontrunner's eligibility in doubt

Meanwhile, South Korea's Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a lower court's acquittal of Democratic Party presidential frontrunner Lee Jae-myung on charges of election law violation.

The decision now casts doubt on Lee's eligibility to run for the presidency.

In March, an appeals court had cleared Lee in a case of election violation due to making false statements during a previous campaign.

The court said at the time that the decision proved the matter against him was politically motivated and that he had been completely vindicated.

If a lower court also finds Lee guilty, he would be barred from running for office for  five years and might even face a prison sentence. The opposition leader can appeal the decision, but observers doubt the matter would be resolved before the June 3 vote.

Edited by: Rana Taha