Hong, who also met with Na Kyung-won
Refused to meet Han Dong-hoon
South Korea "No special position"
Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo refused to meet with former People Power Party Emergency Response Committee Chairman Han Dong-hoon on the 26th and instead met with former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong.
On the morning of the same day, Mayor Hong targeted former Chairman Han on his Facebook, saying, "The primary condition for the ruling party leader is to accompany the regime and lay the foundation for re-election," adding, "Starting off with clumsy judgments, obstructing progress, or bullying those who gave nominations and lining them up is a sign of having learned politics very poorly."
Former Chairman Han told reporters at the National Assembly Members' Office Building that day, "Since he (Mayor Hong) does not want to meet, it would be difficult to see him," and added, "I have no special position."
At the meeting with former Minister Won that day, Mayor Hong expressed his thoughts about former Chairman Han. He said, "We really gave him emergency authority for the general election, but he completely failed," and added, "How many days has it been since he left? He wants to try again? If there are people who support that, it is rather strange. I don't understand it." He continued, "There has never been a precedent in party history where someone who resigned after a general election defeat came back to run in a party convention," and said, "It shows how little he respects the party and how he thinks of the party members and the public. I don't understand it."
Mayor Hong also pointed out that five people committed suicide during former Chairman Han's investigation of the so-called 'state affairs manipulation,' including former President Park Geun-hye when Han was a prosecutor. Hong said, "Only the suicides during the investigation of Representative Lee Jae-myung are highlighted, but what about the suicides during former Chairman Han's investigations? How can he come back after doing such things? President Yoon Seok-youl brought about regime change, so he cannot be held responsible, but for someone who was the practical person in charge and was harsh to do this even after the general election defeat, it goes against political justice." He also criticized the fact that former Chairman Han did not contact Mayor Hong directly to arrange a meeting but only through others.
On the other hand, Mayor Hong expressed gratitude for former Minister Won's candidacy. Mayor Hong said, "Party members need to know someone like former Minister Won," adding, "If this party convention goes wrong, the Yoon Seok-youl administration will collapse." He continued, "If the regime falls and the ruling party disintegrates, whoever runs in the next presidential election, it will be an impossible election," and added, "Didn't we experience that in 2017? This is to prevent that from happening."
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