Prime Minister Preparing to Offer Resignation After Local Elections

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok is preparing to offer his resignation after this week's local elections as he plans to run for the leadership of the ruling party, news reports said Monday. Kim plans to express his intention to resign to the president right after Wednesday's local elections to run in the race for the party leader that will be determined at the party's national convention in August, the Kyunghyang Shinmun daily and other media outlets reported.

Kim is expected to remain in office until his successor becomes ready to take over, the reports said.

The issue could be discussed when Kim holds a weekly lunch meeting with the president on Monday. On Tuesday, Kim is also scheduled to hold a dinner party with Cabinet members, which some political observers say could be a farewell gathering, though Kim's office said the meeting was set up to mark the first anniversary of the inauguration of the current administration.

Speculation has persisted for months that Kim, a key political ally of the president, could step down and try to take over the party from the current leader in an attempt to further solidify the president's grip on the party. The current leader has drawn criticism from pro-president party members amid views that he is leading the party in a way that suits his own hard-line supporters, rather than trying to work in tandem with the president on key issues, though both have insisted there is no daylight between them.

Media reports have suggested possible candidates to succeed Kim as prime minister, including the president's chief of staff, presidential chief of staff for policy, Justice Minister, Interior Minister, Industry Minister, and the party's chief policymaker.

A source with the ruling camp said it is too early to talk about such issues. "The local elections are not over yet, and Prime Minister Kim is conducting his duties normally," the source said.