Presidential Contender Hong Joon-pyo Starts Engine... "I Am Like Deng Xiaoping, a Resilient Life"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Hong Joon-pyo, former leader of the Liberty Korea Party, who was elected as an independent in Daegu Suseong, announced his intention to "decorate the final finale" and signaled his move as a presidential candidate.

On the 18th, Hong posted on his Facebook, "I am a person who has lived a resilient life like Deng Xiaoping," expressing this sentiment.

He recalled his past, saying, "In 1996, I made a spectacular political debut with the help of the drama 'Sandglass,' but was expelled from politics in 1999 after becoming a sniper against DJ (the late former President Kim Dae-jung). In 2001, I returned to politics as a special prosecutor targeting DJ again in the Dongdaemun by-election, but was once again expelled from politics after losing in the 2012 general election."

He continued, "In December of that year, I returned to politics through the Gyeongnam governor by-election, but faced a political expulsion crisis in 2015 after being implicated in the unrelated Sung Wan-jong list. I was acquitted in the 2017 Seoul High Court appeal trial, which allowed me to revive and run as our party’s candidate in the impeachment presidential election. I became the party leader for the second time to rebuild the fallen party, but resigned as party leader taking responsibility for the defeat in the local elections due to the disguised peace inter-Korean summit under the Moon administration in 2018, facing another political expulsion crisis," he added.

He said, "Despite persistent obstruction by Representative Hwang and Kim Hyung-o during this general election, I revived as an independent in Daegu Suseong. I have lived like a wildflower in the mountains and fields, not a flower in a greenhouse. I vow at my parents' graves today to decorate the final finale without falling anymore."

In a post on the same day, he said, "Now I will forget everything and only think about the country's future and the future of the conservative right. I will forget the rudeness and arrogance of Kim Hyung-o, Professor Choi, and Prosecutor Jo, who committed election fraud in the last general election. I will also forget the lawlessness and tyranny of Representative Hwang and his close aides. I will forget the sharp emotions shown by Lee In-seon, the United Party candidate who visited yesterday during the election," he said.

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