Retrospective in 'Cheongnyeonui Kkum'... "27 Years in Politics Felt Like a Roller Coaster"
Hong Joon-pyo, a member of the People Power Party, is giving a greeting speech at the jp Hope Camp closing ceremony held last November at the BNB Tower in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Hong Joon-pyo, a member of the People Power Party, stated, "I am coming back down to Daegu to prepare for a revival."
On the 27th, Hong posted an article titled "Rollercoaster Political Life" on his online platform 'Youth's Dream,' which he operates, expressing this sentiment. His mention of his political career is interpreted as his intention to run for mayor of Daegu in the upcoming June 10 local elections to seek a new political path.
Hong reflected on his turbulent political career. He said, "I made a grand debut by winning in Songpa, Seoul, in April 1996, but faced setbacks three years later. After one and a half years, I stood up again by winning the by-election in Dongdaemun, Seoul, and served as party leader, but faced another setback in April 2012. In December of that year, I rose again by winning the by-election for governor of Gyeongnam and devoted myself to Gyeongnam for four years and four months, but in May 2017, I was drafted into the impeachment presidential election and was defeated, facing yet another setback."
He continued, "In July of that year, I took on the party leadership again, but suffered a crushing defeat in the local elections the following year, leading to disappointment. In April 2020, I became a victim of 'Makcheon' (reckless nomination) to eliminate competitors, wandering through three constituencies, and for the first time in my life, ran as an independent and revived in Suseong District, Daegu. Last November, although I overwhelmingly won public opinion, I failed to gain support from hastily formed party members and was defeated in the presidential primary." He then reflected, "Looking back on my 27-year political career, it truly has been a rollercoaster political life."
Earlier, after President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's victory in the presidential election, on the 10th, Hong expressed his intention to run for mayor of Daegu, saying, "I want to leave central politics to President-elect Yoon and decentralize." He added, "I feel much more at ease now than when I decentralized as governor of Gyeongnam 10 years ago," and said, "Now that the dream of remodeling South Korea has been dashed, what I need to do is remodel Daegu, which raised me."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
