[Viewpoint] The Reason for the Existence of Politician Hong Joonpyo

There are many aspects of Hong Joonpyo, Mayor of Daegu Metropolitan City, and his political views that I do not agree with. His distorted perception of sexual minorities, as well as his recent attitude of refusing interviews or threatening to cut advertising with media outlets he dislikes, have become hot topics. These are two more reasons why I cannot support politician Hong Joonpyo.

Nevertheless, my belief that Mayor Hong is a necessary figure in Korean politics remains unchanged. In fact, aside from a few provocative remarks, there is a considerable degree of rationality in many of his policy arguments. When I set aside my preconceptions and examine his positions objectively, I often find myself thinking, "There is nothing wrong with what he is saying." Moreover, he is not the type to abandon his convictions for personal gain or loss. Regardless of political support, it is rare to find a politician who acts on principle and does not shy away from confronting issues head-on, as he does.

In this respect, Mayor Hong’s press conference on July 19 may well be recorded as a significant misstep in his political career. The confident stance of "this is an unreasonable accusation" was replaced by a statement apologizing to "the people and party members." The key point in this remark is the reference to party members, not the public. When the possibility of disciplinary action within the party was raised, Mayor Hong held a press conference to apologize. It can only be seen as a compromise with reality, motivated by concern that the situation might harm his prospects for the presidency.

I generally agree with Mayor Hong’s initial explanation. Although his claim that "it is a matter of personal life whether a public official plays golf on the weekend or not" may be grating to some ears, it is not entirely wrong. The important issue is not the specific sport, golf, yet public opinion has focused on that word. The charge cited by the People Power Party as grounds for disciplinary action is also the ambiguous notion of "public sentiment." If Mayor Hong had gone hiking instead of playing golf at the same time, the controversy would not have been as great. This approach is not rational.

Unless new information emerges that could fundamentally change the situation, there is little justification to hold Mayor Hong accountable. He explained that all he did was play golf with an acquaintance using his personal vehicle on the weekend. If he had violated Daegu City’s disaster response manual or caused problems in disaster response as a result, he could be held responsible. However, even in that case, the type of sport he chose to spend his weekend on cannot be the standard for judgment.

Before the last presidential election, Mayor Hong explained to me why he believed he should become president: "To run a country, you need bold drive, political skill, and communication ability." At that time, his approval ratings were rising in public opinion polls, and it was notable that many of his supporters came from outside the traditional People Power Party base. Mayor Hong himself analyzed that this demonstrated his broad appeal and that his "forthright political style" was effective.

It would have been better if he had not engaged in conduct that could be criticized in the first place, but his crisis management after the incident seems far removed from the communication and political skills he once took pride in. On the night of July 20, when the People Power Party’s Central Ethics Committee decided to initiate disciplinary proceedings, Mayor Hong posted on Facebook the phrase "gwahajiok (enduring the humiliation of crawling between someone’s legs for a greater cause)" but deleted it the next morning. Whether it is the reality of enduring the humiliation of an "insincere apology" for the sake of a bigger dream, or reversing a resolution made overnight, both are equally unconvincing. If Hong Joonpyo does not act like Hong Joonpyo, there is no reason for him to exist in the political arena.

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