Amid Public Opinion on 'By-election Responsibility'... Hong Jun-pyo Says "We Must Nominate a Candidate for Gangseo District Mayor" Why?

Hong "Why would Yoon grant pardons?" Kim Tae-woo claims nomination
"Must check metropolitan sentiment and prepare for general election"

Hong Jun-pyo, the mayor of Daegu, argued today that Kim Tae-woo, the former mayor of Gangseo District, should be re-nominated as the People Power Party candidate for the upcoming by-election for the Seoul Gangseo District mayoral seat in October. On the 25th, Mayor Hong posted on Facebook, saying, "I understand the intention not to nominate a candidate for the Gangseo District mayor to avoid creating variables ahead of the general election, but it is a cowardly act."

Kim, who exposed allegations related to the Moon Jae-in administration's Blue House special inspection team, was sentenced to prison for leaking secrets he learned in the course of his official duties but was recently reinstated through a special pardon on Liberation Day. This came about three months after he lost his mayoral position due to the confirmed guilty verdict.

After being reinstated, former Mayor Kim expressed his intention to run again, but some within the ruling party viewed this as inappropriate. Since the responsibility for the by-election lies with the People Power Party, there were calls for no nomination in this election. However, Mayor Hong believed that despite potential criticism, nominating a candidate for the by-election was necessary.

Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu. [Photo by Yonhap News]

Mayor Hong stated, "Because it was a disclosure for the public good, it was a matter that could have been given a suspended sentence, but since a probation was imposed, it was deemed unfair, and the president immediately pardoned him, right?" He added, "It is only natural to nominate a candidate to check the flow of public opinion in the metropolitan area and to prepare countermeasures for the general election." He further warned, "If we hesitate and only calculate the risks, we might end up in a situation like 피호봉호 (避狐逢虎, trying to avoid a fox but encountering a tiger)."

Some predict that if the People Power Party does not field a candidate in the Gangseo District mayoral by-election, it could fuel the recently raised 'metropolitan area crisis theory.' This is because abstaining from nomination might give the impression that the party lacks confidence in winning the election.

Park Sung-min, head of the political consulting firm 'Min,' commented on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs,' saying, "If it were a corruption case, abstaining from nomination would be understandable. But since this is a political issue, I think not nominating a candidate looks cowardly." He added, "It might seem like the leadership is avoiding nominating a candidate out of fear that if they lose this election, there will be calls for the leadership's resignation."

Since the Gangseo District mayoral by-election is held six months before next year's general election, it is regarded as a barometer to gauge public sentiment. For the People Power Party, the decision on whether to nominate a candidate inevitably involves considerable deliberation.

Meanwhile, former Mayor Kim announced on the 18th, just four days after his pardon, that he had registered as a preliminary candidate for the Gangseo District mayoral by-election. On Facebook, Kim appealed for support, stating, "The only candidate who can work immediately without any administrative gap right after the election is me, Kim Tae-woo."

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