Hong Jun-pyo "Yangsan May Be Acceptable..." PK 'Difficult District Draft' Compromise Plan

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] Former Liberty Korea Party leader Hong Joon-pyo has expressed willingness to accept being nominated for the challenging district of Yangsan-eul in Gyeongnam, considered a tough battleground in the Busan-Gyeongnam (PK) region. He stated that he would accept a direct contest against Kim Doo-kwan, a prominent PK candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, presenting a compromise to the party's demand for him to run in the Seoul metropolitan area.

On the 11th, Hong's camp said, "If the party proposes it, we are willing to accept Yangsan-eul."

Yangsan-eul in Gyeongnam is where President Moon Jae-in's private residence is located, and Kim Doo-kwan from the ruling party has already declared his candidacy. It is a key area in the Nakdong River belt, where the Democratic Party's influence is strong, and is considered a conservative stronghold in the PK region.

Until now, former leader Hong has refused the party's nomination committee's request to run in the Seoul metropolitan area, saying, "I have already sacrificed enough," "Let me go," and "I cannot be a sidekick to Hwang Kyo-ahn." His announcement on the last day of the final ultimatum about the possibility of running in Yangsan-eul appears to clearly indicate his intention to "go to a tough district but not to the metropolitan area."

However, it is uncertain whether the nomination committee will accept Hong's opinion. The committee maintains a strategy to place top-tier candidates primarily in the metropolitan area to generate momentum. On the same day, Representative Hwang Kyo-ahn told reporters, "What is important to us is to stop and judge the Moon Jae-in administration's tyranny. We must gather all the strength that can help," adding, "It is necessary for leading candidates to concentrate their efforts where needed. I believe the nomination committee will wisely coordinate this."

Meanwhile, Nomination Committee Chairman Kim Hyung-oh is scheduled to hold a meeting on the 12th to decide on the positions regarding the general election candidacies of leader-level candidates, including former leader Hong.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.