Presidential hopefuls gear up for race; Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo first to enter

With the earlier-than-scheduled exit of President Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korean politicians are quickly moving into election campaign mode.

On Saturday, a day after Yoon’s removal from office was finalized by the Constitutional Court, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo hinted at stepping down to focus on the presidential race.

“I have been thoroughly preparing for this election, considering it the final mission of my 30-year political career. Starting next week, I will proceed step by step with the necessary procedures,” Hong said on Facebook.

The procedures he referred to appear to include resigning from his position as Daegu mayor.

Meanwhile, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, is also expected to resign from his party leadership position to officially begin his presidential campaign.

According to political sources Saturday, Lee plans to step down once acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo finalizes the election date, which must take place before April 14 under Korean law.

South Korea is expected to hold a presidential election in June, as the law requires a successor to be chosen within 60 days when a president is removed by the court.

Other potential candidates likely to step down to run for the presidency include Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Dong-yeon, Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon.