Rep. Kwon Young-se of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), who clinched a fifth term in last week’s general elections, dismissed rumors he is being considered a prime minister candidate to replace Han Duck-soo.
Kwon made the remark when asked by reporters about the rumors, after attending a meeting of heavyweight PPP lawmakers convened to discuss follow-up measures to the party’s landslide defeat in last week’s general elections.
In Wednesday’s polls, the opposition bloc secured 192 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, while the PPP only managed to win 108 seats. That led to Prime Minister Han and all top aides to President Yoon Suk Yeol offering to resign en masse.
Kwon has since been talked about as a leading candidate to succeed Han as prime minister, while former Land Minister Won Hee-ryong has been mentioned as a strong candidate for the next presidential chief of staff.
“I consider it a groundless rumor,” Kwon told reporters, adding that coming up with a shortlist of prime minister candidates
may not be on the top list of priorities of the presidential office right now.
A close confidant of Yoon, Kwon was reelected in the constituency of Yongsan, central Seoul.
Source: Yonhap News Agency