Kim Moon-soo, the Minister of Employment and Labor, announced on the 9th that he will officially declare his candidacy for the 21st presidential election. On the 8th, after expressing his intention to resign during a Cabinet meeting at the Government Complex in Seoul, he told reporters, “The people and those I know wanted (me to run for the presidency),” adding, “I feel a responsibility to address various national challenges.”
Minister Kim mentioned that he has been leading in polls for preferred conservative leaders, stating, “I take the will of the people very seriously. I didn’t ask to be pushed forward; it seems to reflect the unfortunate political reality and the people’s frustration.”
Regarding his campaign pledges, he briefly stated, “With the national crisis, the economy is struggling, and people are having a hard time. We need to unite the political world and the people to overcome the national crisis and contribute to the advancement of a great Republic of Korea.”
When asked if he had communicated with former President Yoon Seok-youl about his candidacy, Kim said, “I became Minister of Labor because he appointed me, and I hoped to return, but I’m now in an unfortunate situation,” adding, “There was no communication about running for the presidency.” He also did not comment on the possibility of meeting with the former president.
During the impeachment proceedings against former President Yoon, Minister Kim had maintained the stance that “Yoon’s impeachment will be dismissed, and there will naturally be no early presidential election.” This aligned with the views of the ardent conservative supporters who became more active during the impeachment situation, which helped him rise quickly to the forefront of various polls for conservative leadership preferences.