Under relevant laws, a presidential candidate must resign from any official post at least 30 days before the election, meaning that Han must step down by May 4 to be eligible for the June 3 election.
In political circles, there is speculation that Han could announce his candidacy as early as Wednesday, a day after a regular Cabinet meeting or Thursday, ahead of the long holiday weekend that lasts from Children's Day and Buddha's Birthday on May 5 to the makeup holiday the following day.
The seasoned bureaucrat and diplomat, has suddenly emerged as one of the strong candidates for the ruling People Power Party's (PPP), probably backed by his recent response to U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff threats, as there is no formidable contender within the PPP capable of competing against Lee Jae-myung, the nominee of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), who remains far ahead of other candidates in most opinion polls.
But Han's possible bid could be controversial, as the election comes amid a power vacuum following the impeachment of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law debacle late last year.
If Han, who would be tasked with managing the situation as acting president, decides to leave the post to join the presidential race, he may face severe criticism, as that would mean Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok returning as acting president again just a month after Han's recent return.
Moreover, whether he runs as an independent candidate or not, Han would eventually join the PPP and face the conservative party's final candidate, who is set to be decided after its internal primary wraps up on Tuesday, to field a single nominee, raising questions about the credibility and fairness of the party's primary and nomination process.
For this reason, Han is likely to agonize until the last minute, but he is apparently leaning toward running, with his decision expected to be made before the holiday weekend, which typically draws less attention.
Meanwhile, a survey by pollster Hankook Research last week revealed that over 70 percent of voters were opposed. Even among conservative voters, more than half were against.
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