South Gyeongsang Gov. Hong Joon-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party is set to announce his presidential ambitions this weekend, his aides said Tuesday.

Hong is expected to make the declaration Saturday in Daegu, the traditional conservative stronghold. According to the poll conducted on Saturday and Sunday by Korea Research Center, commissioned by Yonhap News Agency and KBS, Hong posted an approval rating of 1.9 percent.

The governor, however, was the second-most popular conservative contender in the poll. Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, whose presidential bid remains uncertain, posted 9.1 percent.

On Sunday, the Liberty Korea Party lifted the suspension of party membership imposed against Hong, paving the way for his candidacy. His membership had been suspended since 2015 after being charged with bribery in a high-profile lobbying scandal.

In February, the Seoul High Court found Hong not guilty of receiving money from Sung Wan-jong, the late former head of Kyungnam Corp., a local construction firm, ahead of a ruling party's leadership election in 2011.

The Constitutional Court removed Park Geun-hye from the presidential office on Friday, upholding her impeachment over a corruption scandal. By law, South Korea is required to hold a presidential election within 60 days. (Yonhap)