"Presidential Campaign Preparation Complete,
Only Execution Remains"
Hong Jun-pyo, the mayor of Daegu who has officially declared his presidential candidacy, called Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo a "Taliban" and said, "I am different. I have flexibility at moments when compromise is necessary." Minister Kim has also expressed his intention to run for president.
According to Yonhap News on the 8th, Mayor Hong said at a press briefing, "There is no separate strategy for the primary and the general election. The presidential election is only two months away. I am running with the general election in mind, and if it doesn't work out, it means I am unlucky." He added, "The preparation of presidential pledges and strategies was completed last week, and only the execution process remains." He continued, "Short-term battles and long-term battles are different. I have expertise in short-term battles."
Regarding the presidential race, Mayor Hong said, "It's an obvious two-way race," adding, "The frame is about choosing between the Lee Jae-myung administration and the Hong Jun-pyo administration. It does not go with the frame of regime continuation or regime change." He said, "During the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, the Korean conservative camp was impeached. This impeachment is not about the conservative camp but about President Yoon Seok-youl personally, so the conservative camp is not destroyed, and both sides are evenly matched due to factional logic." He added, "Can you let a thug become president? The people will find it difficult to do so."
Regarding his resignation as Daegu mayor and entering the primary, he said, "Other local leaders are trying to raise their status ahead of next year's local elections," adding, "Being president is not something you can do just because you want to or have the ability. Staying put is meaningless."
Regarding the Yongsan presidential residence, he said, "Yongsan has become a symbol of poor communication and superstition," adding, "It should naturally return to the Blue House. That is a matter of national dignity." About the newly prepared campaign office, he said, "The building owner is a fan of Hong Jun-pyo," adding, "I wasn't even thinking about it, but he contacted me first saying he had cleared the biggest room on the fourth floor. He said, 'Please win the general election and become president.'"
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