South Korea’s former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo says he will run in next month’s presidential election and would seek to lessen the powers of the office and ease strife-ridden domestic politics if he wins.

Han Duck-soo has emerged as a potential conservative standard bearer as the main conservative People Power Party remains in disarray.

South Korea's former acting President Han Duck-soo said on Friday he would join the race to become the country's next president after resigning the day before.