Seoul, South Korea — In the aftermath of the ruling People Power Party's (PPP) electoral defeat, Rep. Kwon Young-se has refuted rumors suggesting he might be the next prime minister, labeling such speculation as unfounded.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kwon was responding to queries following a meeting with other senior PPP members who gathered to discuss the party’s recent poor performance in the general elections. The PPP secured only 108 seats out of 300, while the opposition won 192 seats, prompting mass resignation offers from current Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and senior aides to President Yoon Suk Yeol. Despite being a potential successor to Han, Kwon stated that considering a new prime ministerial candidate "may not be on the top list of priorities of the presidential office right now."

Kwon, a close associate of President Yoon, was re-elected from the Yongsan district in central Seoul.