Seoul, April 26 (IANS): South Korean Acting President Han Duck-soo called for efforts to achieve a “more mature democracy” in South Korea on Saturday amid growing speculation he may announce a bid to run in the upcoming presidential election.

“We will work to realise a more mature democracy to faithfully transmit to our future generations the values of liberal democracy, upheld by the April 19 civil revolt,” Han said in a congratulatory message at the national breakfast prayer meeting celebrating the 1960 pro-democracy movement.

Han’s message was read by Lee Hee-wan, the deputy minister of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

“I hope South Korea becomes a country that leads the world in all areas of politics, economy and society by uniting the hearts of all people,” he said.

Han’s message came amid speculation the acting president could be a potential game changer for the conservative camp in the June election to be held to pick a new leader after former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s ouster over his failed martial law decree.

Han has declined to comment on his possible candidacy for the election.

“The April 19 revolution is a shining source of pride for us that marked a milestone in the history of democracy, not only for South Korea but for the world,” he said, mentioning the historic event’s inscription on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

UNESCO approved the inscription of the April 19 revolution archives in its register in 2023.

The April 19 revolution was touched off by public anger over vote rigging in the presidential election by the Rhee Syng-man government in power at the time, Yonhap news agency reported.

A series of nationwide student protests culminated on April 19, with hundreds of demonstrators killed or wounded in clashes with armed police. The uprising ultimately forced Rhee to step down after 12 years in office.

The liberal Democratic Party (DP) strongly criticised Han amid speculation about his potential run for the presidency, accusing him of “shamelessly testing the waters” for a run.

DP spokesperson Rep. Hwang Jung-ah said in a written briefing, “The people will judge acting President Han, who has made the state affairs a tool for personal ambition.”

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, a contender in the presidential candidate primary of the People Power Party, also urged Han to abandon such a bid, saying, “It is time for us to regain our composure and choose a candidate who can truly defeat Lee Jae-myung,” referring to the leading DP candidate.