Hong Joon-pyo declares presidential bid

Hong Joon-pyo, who recently resigned as mayor of Daegu, officially announced his candidacy for president on Monday, joining a rapidly consolidating field of contenders in the upcoming early election triggered by the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Declaring what will be his third presidential bid, Hong framed the upcoming election as a “binary choice” between himself and Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Hong positioned himself as the only viable candidate to “hold Lee accountable,” asserting that now, with former President Yoon removed from office, attention must turn to what he described as the unresolved legal and ethical issues surrounding Lee.

“With the martial law crisis concluded by the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, we must now bring judgment upon Lee Jae-myung,” Hong wrote. “Only the people’s verdict and the sovereign decision of voters can serve justice to a figure mired in crime and corruption.”

Hong declared that the June 3 presidential election will be a clear-cut contest between “a Hong Joon-pyo administration and a Lee Jae-myung administration,” labeling Lee as a “convicted criminal with four prior offenses and five ongoing trials,” while casting himself as “an experienced and capable leader, fully prepared to govern.”

Neither Hong nor Lee has yet secured the nomination of their respective party.

Under the campaign slogan “Toward the seventh republic, ushering in the era of a leading nation,” Hong pledged a new vision for constitutional reform and sweeping political innovation. He is expected to outline a comprehensive platform during his official campaign launch, including proposals for the decentralization of power and a structural realignment of the government.

Hong's announcement comes as the People Power Party’s primary landscape begins to solidify. While figures like Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon have opted out of running, other key figures remain in contention, including former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, former party leader Han Dong-hoon and Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo, Na Kyung-won and Yoon Sang-hyun.