Hong Jun-pyo Officially Announces Presidential Bid Next Week: "My Final Mission in 30 Years of Politics"

"Impeachment Is Already in the Past... One Day Is Enough for Healing"
"One Korea! Great Korea!"

Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo virtually declared his candidacy for the early presidential election, stating that "impeachment is already in the past," just less than a day after former President Yoon Seok-yeol was impeached.

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo has effectively declared his candidacy for the early presidential election. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo

On the morning of the 5th around 9 a.m., Mayor Hong wrote on Facebook, "The impeachment case of President Yoon Seok-yeol has now become a thing of the past, regardless of whether it was justified or not." He emphasized that "we no longer have time to be swept up in impeachment controversies. One day is enough for healing, and we must stand up again," highlighting that the early presidential election is just over two months away. He added, "The passion against impeachment should be channeled into the next presidential election."

He also said, "Our mission is to build a new nation of national unity without conflict and division," and stated, "It is time to break free from the conventional partisan logic of regime change or regime extension and create a completely new Republic of Korea, a Republic of coexistence and co-prosperity."

He stressed, "Our Republic of Korea, which has raced beyond modernization and democratization into the era of advanced nations, must once again leap forward to open the 100-year future of Korea, the Seventh Republic, and the era of a developed nation." He added, "I have considered this my final mission in my over 30 years of political life and have prepared thoroughly. Starting next week, I will follow the procedures step by step and stand before the people again." This was read as an aspiration to announce his presidential candidacy and resign as Daegu mayor sometime next week.

He also put forward the slogan, "One Korea! Great Korea!" pledging to devote all his efforts to creating it. This slogan evokes former U.S. President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again."

Recently, Mayor Hong completed two books titled Dreams Come True Today and Opening the Era of the Seventh Republic and Developed Nation. Dreams Come True Today is a collection of posts he uploaded on Facebook, while Opening the Era of the Seventh Republic and Developed Nation contains his presidential campaign pledges. Regarding these works, he explained on Facebook, "I received advice from experts in various fields for over three months, but basically, it contains the vision of Korea’s future that I have drawn during my more than 30 years in politics," and added, "The book Seventh Republic depicts the future Korea I dream of."