South Korea's conservatives dropped their presidential candidate on Saturday and reopened the nomination process, after the former prime minister decided to join the party to challenge the liberal frontrunner in an election just four weeks away.

South Korea’s conservatives oust Kim Moon-soo, reopen nomination as ex-PM Han Duck-soo joins race vs. liberal frontrunner.

People Power Party’s original presidential candidate Kim Moon Soo has denounced the move as an “overnight political coup”.

South Korea’s embattled conservative party has taken the unprecedented step of nullifying its primary and replacing presidential candidate Kim Moon Soo with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo just one week after Kim’s selection.