Hong Jun-pyo "21st Presidential Election? One More Step Before Falling Asleep"... 'One Team' Still Uncertain

Cheongnyeonui Kkum, More Than 13,000 Posts in One Day
Showing Will for the 21st Presidential Election by Replying as 'Junpyo-hyung'

Hong Jun-pyo, a member of the People Power Party, is giving a greeting speech at the jp Hope Camp closing ceremony held on the 8th at the BNB Tower in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] "Please run in the 21st presidential election!" "I will take one more step before going to sleep."

Hong Joon-pyo, a member of the People Power Party, has opened the youth platform 'Cheongnyeon-ui Kkum (Youth's Dream)' and announced his move toward the 21st presidential election. With a youth-centered support base, Hong appears to be taking an independent path, leaving the 'one team' with Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, still uncertain.

As of 10:20 AM on the 15th, more than 13,000 posts had been uploaded on Cheongnyeon-ui Kkum, which is an online community-type political participation platform mainly for people in their 20s to 40s, directly conceived by Hong.

The 'Cheongmun Hongdap (청문홍답, Youth Questions Hong Answers)' board, where youths ask questions and Hong responds, has gained popularity with about 1,300 posts in just one day. Since the day before, Hong has been replying to multiple posts under the ID 'Junpyo-hyung,' narrowing the distance with young people. In response to a post asking, "What do you think is the biggest problem in Korean politics?" he wrote "Old-fashioned factional politics," showing his perspective on the political scene. To the question "What kind of person is Lee Jun-seok?" he answered, "A smart and clear-minded young man."

Photo provided by capture from the 'Cheongnyeonui Kkum' website

He also clearly expressed his intention to run in the 21st presidential election scheduled for 2027. To a post saying, "Please take care of your health and run in the next presidential election," he replied, "I will exercise hard." To another post, "Please run in the 2027 election," he left a comment: "When I first entered politics in 1996, I appeared before the people with the fresh nickname 'Hourglass Prosecutor,' but over time, swept up by old factions, I was often misunderstood and heavily criticized, which was truly painful. Fortunately, this time I am able to wash away that image, and I am very grateful. I will keep going until the very end with the thought of taking one more step before going to sleep." Regarding the fact that U.S. President Joe Biden is approaching his 80s, he emphasized, "Age is just a number." Considering that Hong was born in 1954, this seems to dispel concerns that this presidential run might be his last.

In this way, Hong has drawn a line against joining the campaign headquarters since Yoon was selected on the 5th, pursuing an independent path to expand his base, leaving the 'one team' still uncertain. On the 12th, he also stated in the Facebook introduction of Cheongnyeon-ui Kkum, "I repeat, I will not participate in a corrupt and scandal-ridden presidential election." Former lawmaker Lee Eon-ju, who served as co-chair of Hong's presidential campaign, appeared on TBS Radio that day and, when asked whether this community would be managed to support Yoon Seok-yeol in this election or remain to present "the political path Hong envisions" without joining the campaign headquarters, said, "It is more likely the latter. If he were going to support a candidate, he would participate in the campaign headquarters."

However, the possibility of a 'one team' is not completely closed. Lee explained, "As a party member, he will play a role, so it would be a bit much to say he will absolutely not do support rallies," adding, "He might ask for some help toward the end." Lee also added, "We will have to wait and see. Many around expect that (Hong) will at least fulfill the minimum role he can within the party."

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