Former PM Han Ends South Korea Conservative Presidential Bid

South Korea's former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ended his short-lived bid for the conservative People Power Party's (PPP) presidential nomination after internal disputes and a party vote favored rival Kim Moon-soo as the candidate for the June 3 election. Han had entered the race late, disrupting party consensus, and despite outperforming Kim in public polls against the opposition candidate Lee Jae-myung, he failed to unify the conservative vote. Earlier attempts to replace Kim with Han, including the PPP's unprecedented move to nullify the primary results, faced strong opposition from party members and led to public apologies from Han for the ensuing confusion. Han expressed his willingness to support Kim's campaign and emphasized his focus on the election victory rather than party leadership. The election was triggered by the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, and Kim now represents the conservatives against Lee of the Democratic Party. Throughout the process, Han sought to unite various primary contenders but ultimately accepted the party's decision and pledged to assist in the campaign.