Hong Joon-pyo Responds to Criticism of Central Political Involvement: "I'm Different from Other Local Leaders"

Daegu Mayor Posts on Facebook
"Politician Who Served Five Terms as Lawmaker and Twice as Party Leader"

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo responded to criticism that he is excessively involved in central politics by stating, "My career is different from other local government heads," asserting that he is fully qualified to be involved.

On the 18th, Mayor Hong posted on Facebook, saying, "I am a politician who has served five terms as a member of the National Assembly, been floor leader, party leader twice, and local government head three times."

Mayor Hong said, "Since Facebook was created, it has become much easier to engage in politics, allowing me to quickly and easily convey my thoughts to the public without having to go to the National Assembly briefing room," adding, "While I focus on my duties as Daegu mayor, I occasionally take time to express my opinions on central politics."

Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu. [Photo by Yonhap News]

He continued, "Some criticize this, saying that a local government head should only focus on local affairs and not interfere in central politics," adding, "I always take the stance that the country must prosper for the regions to prosper as well."

Mayor Hong's remarks are a rebuttal to criticisms that he is overly involved in central politics. Recently, he described the 'Yeongnam region senior politicians' relocation to the metropolitan area' as a "political model with no feasibility," which led to a verbal exchange with Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party. Ha, who served three terms representing Busan Haeundae Gap, has declared his candidacy for the challenging Seoul district in next year's general election.

Meanwhile, Mayor Hong also announced plans to publish a book compiling the posts he has written on Facebook over the past three years.

He said, "I have previously published three books compiling my Facebook posts titled 'Dreaming Romanticist,' 'Dreaming Optimist,' and 'Dreaming Republic of Korea,' and this time I will publish a fourth book titled 'Dreams Come True.'" He added, "It will contain sharp and poignant insights in short sentences and provide an understanding of the political situation in Korea on that day."