PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain labored past lowly Le Havre 2-1 on Saturday and moved closer to finishing Ligue 1 unbeaten.
In other games, Marseille thumped rock-bottom Montpellier 5-1 to reclaim second place by one point from Monaco, which drew 0-0 at home with fifth-placed Strasbourg.
PSG has already clinched the league title, and coach Luis Enrique rested 21-goal top-scorer Ousmane Dembélé and gave 17-year forward Ibrahim Mbaye a chance up front.
Another teenage forward, Désiré Doué, gave PSG an early lead with a deflected strike after being set up by winger Bradley Barcola's league-leading 10th assist.
The second goal came in the new half when 18-year-old midfielder Senny Mayulu broke down the left and allowed center forward Gonçalo Ramos an easy tap-in.
Sloppy defending from a corner let striker Issa Soumaré head a goal back on the hour for Le Havre, which remained 16th and in the relegation playoff spot.
PSG is on course for the first treble in its history.
It travels to Arsenal on April 29 in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, and takes on Reims in the French Cup final on May 24.
The top three sides in France gain automatic entry into next season’s Champions League while the side in fourth spot enters qualifying.
Marseille looks well set with only four games left.
English forward Mason Greenwood scored twice against a woeful Montpellier to take his league tally to 18, with only Dembélé ahead of him.
Greenwood scored from the penalty spot eight minutes into a one-sided contest at Stade Velodrome.
Then defender Amir Murillo found Greenwood just inside the penalty area and he controlled the ball before finishing with a neat side-footed shot.
The visitors pulled a goal back before France midfielder Adrien Rabiot completed the scoring with a cool finish from Ismaël Bennacer’s pass.
Montpellier is almost relegated after an 11th straight loss.
United States forward Folarin Balogun came off the bench late on for Monaco and almost scored when Dorde Petrovic tipped over his powerful header.
There was tension at the end between the two coaches.
Strasbourg's English coach Liam Rosenior claimed he had to wait five minutes before Monaco counterpart Adi Hütter shook his hand, which Hütter refuted.
“It's the first time in 16 years of my career that I have heard something like this,” Hütter said. “I've coached in many countries, taken charge of 650 games. I've been in France for two years and a coach never said I disappointed them.”
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PSG's head coach Luis Enrique gestures during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Le Havre at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
PSG's Goncalo Ramos, right, celebrates with PSG's Lucas Hernandez, center, and PSG's Lee Kang-in, left, after scoring, during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Le Havre at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
PSG's Senny Mayulu, background, tries to score against Le Havre's goalkeeper Mathieu Gorgelin during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Le Havre at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
PSG's Desire Doue, center, challenges for the ball with Le Havre's Gautier Lloris, left, during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Le Havre at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s acting leader, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, said Thursday he is resigning to take on “heavier responsibility” as expectation mounted he will run in next month’s presidential election.
Han has emerged as a potential conservative standard bearer as the main conservative People Power Party remains in disarray over the recent ouster of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Observers expect Han to officially launch his presidential campaign on Friday.
“I have two paths ahead of me. One is completing the heavy responsibility that I handle now. The other is putting down that responsibility and taking a heavier responsibility,” Han said in a nationally televised announcement. “I’ve finally determined to put down my post to do what I can and what I have to help overcome the crises facing us.”
Han, who Yoon had appointed prime minister, the country’s No. 2 post, is expected to align with the People Power Party to launch a unified conservative campaign against liberal front-runner Lee Jae-myung, observers say.
Han, 75, is a career bureaucrat with about 40 years of public service and a Harvard doctorate in economics. He has held many top posts under both conservative and liberal governments, including trade minister, finance minister and ambassador to the U.S. He’s served as prime minister twice, first under liberal President Roh Moo-hyun from 2007 to 2008 and later under Yoon.
Han’s supporters say his extensive government experience, especially on economic affairs, would make him the right leader who can deal with President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies and other economic problems. But his critics say Han — who has never had an elected post — has no strong political support base and is too old to become president.
Lee's main liberal opposition Democratic Party lambasted Han's move. “Only the people's severe punishment awaits Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is blind with greed and abandons state affairs,” party spokesperson Cho Seung-rae said.
Han is to formally end his term at midnight after he signs a related document, according to South Korean media.
With Han’s resignation, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok was supposed to serve as acting leader until a new president is elected on June 3. But Choi resigned Thursday night, after the Democratic Party, which has a majority status at the single-chamber National Assembly, abruptly pushed to pass his impeachment motion. Another Deputy Prime Minister Lee Ju-Ho is next in line to become acting leader.
Lee Jae-myung, who won the nomination of the Democratic Party on Sunday, has been favored to win. But his campaign suffered a blow Thursday after the Supreme Court ordered a lower court to review its earlier cancellation of his conviction over election law violation charges.
While it's unclear the Seoul High Court will come up with a new ruling on Lee before the June 3 election, the development provided his conservative rivals with fodder for a political offensive. Under South Korean law, anyone who receives a fine exceeding 1 million won ($683) for election law violations is barred from running for elections for five years.
The Democratic Party condemned the Supreme Court for allegedly trying to interfere in the election.
After the liberal opposition-controlled assembly impeached Yoon on Dec. 14 over his martial law declaration that plunged the country into turmoil, Han began serving as acting leader.
But Han quickly clashed with Lee’s Democratic Party over his refusal to fill three vacant seats on the nine-member Constitutional Court, which was deliberating whether to formally dismiss or reinstate Yoon. A court decision to dismiss Yoon needed support from at least six justices.
In late December, the Democratic Party and other small opposition parties voted to impeach Han, accusing him of obstructing the restoration of the court’s full membership and abetting Yoon’s martial law decree. In March, however, the Constitutional Court overturned Han’s impeachment, reinstating him as acting president. The court in early April ruled to dismiss Yoon.
Yoon separately faces a criminal trial for rebellion in connection with his martial law decree. On Thursday, prosecutors added charges of abuse of power, according to a Seoul prosecutors' office.
South Korean acting President Han Duck-soo, center, leaves after a press conference announcing his resignation at the Government Complex in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Hong Hae-in/Yonhap via AP)
South Korea's Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, center, and other justices are seated in the courtroom to attend a hearing to hand down a ruling on the election law violation case of the Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)
South Korea's Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung exits a meeting with delivery workers in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Suh Myung-geon/Yonhap via AP)
South Korean acting President Han Duck-soo speaks during a press conference at the Government Complex in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Hong Hae-in/Yonhap via AP)
South Korean acting President Han Duck-soo bows after a press conference at the Government Complex in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Hong Hae-in/Yonhap via AP)
South Korean acting President Han Duck-soo speaks during a press conference at the Government Complex in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Hong Hae-in/Yonhap via AP)
