Hong Jun-pyo "Capital Region Talent Depletion... TK Expected to Undergo 50% Renewal"

Remaining talents leave for local government heads
Capital area does not vote as party directs
Yoon's approval rating rises, general election to be a turning point

Hong Joon-pyo, the mayor of Daegu, expressed concerns about the upcoming parliamentary general election next year, stating that "the Seoul metropolitan area is worrisome."

On the 29th, after the '2023 Daegu Investment Briefing' held at a hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, Mayor Hong told reporters, "The talented individuals who remained have all left to become local government heads," adding, "The Seoul metropolitan area is running out of talent."

Mayor Hong said, "Just nominating anyone won't make the metropolitan area vote for the party," and added, "We need to select competitive candidates, but there is too little time." He noted, "In 1996, YS (former President Kim Young-sam) achieved a landslide victory for the conservative party in the metropolitan area for the first time since liberation, and the reason was that they started searching for talent two years prior," adding, "They found candidates suitable for the region, but we don't have that time."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding nominations in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, the strongholds of the People Power Party, he predicted that more than half of the candidates would change. Mayor Hong said, "Based on political experience, the nationwide average turnover rate is 35%," and added, "To meet the 35% nationwide average, Daegu and Gyeongbuk have always had a 50% turnover rate." He continued, "Other areas cannot afford to have turnovers," and said, "In absolutely dominant regions, a 50% turnover has been customary, so I expect it to be around that level next year as well."

When asked about solutions for winning the general election, he drew a line by saying, "Kim Ki-hyun, the leader of the People Power Party, holds that. I do not have it."

He predicted that President Yoon Suk-yeol's approval rating would change starting from next year's general election. Mayor Hong analyzed, "Unlike past presidents, the president did not start with overwhelming approval ratings," and added, "As a result, no measures strong enough to break that were devised, and a year has passed." He then predicted, "The general election will be a turning point for President Yoon Suk-yeol and the administration." When asked about concerns over so-called 'prosecutor nominations,' he said, "Ask Leader Kim Ki-hyun," and added, "Please ask the nomination committee chairman."

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