South Korea’s ruling party has replaced its presidential candidate with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, local media reported on Saturday.
The dramatic decision was made after talks between Han and the People Power Party (PPP), which earlier nominated Kim Moon-soo to run in next month’s polls, according to the Yonhap News Agency.
The party has summoned an emergency meeting to begin a process for the cancellation of Kim as the party’s candidate. The party is expected to announce its formal decision on Sunday. Kim blasted the move, calling it a “midnight political coup.”
Kim on Saturday also reportedly filed an urgent injunction with a Seoul court to block the PPP leadership’s decision. Earlier, Kim warned that he would take legal and political steps against the party’s decision to replace him as candidate.
“A political coup took place in the dead of night. This anti-democratic act is unprecedented not only in the constitutional history of South Korea but also in the history of the world,” he said.
“I will hold those responsible for this situation legally and politically accountable,” he warned.
South Korea will hold a snap presidential election on June 3 after the Constitutional Court removed former President Yoon Suk Yeol from office.
According to a recent JoongAng Ilbo poll, Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung remains the front-runner with 47 percent support, followed by Han at 23 percent, Kim at 13 percent, and Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok at 4 percent.
