Hong Joon-pyo: "People Power Party Is the 'People's Burden'... Authentic Conservatism Must Emerge"

Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo referred to the People Power Party as "People's Burden" and stated that an authentic conservatism must emerge anew.

Hong Jun-pyo, a presidential primary candidate from the People Power Party, is giving an interview to The Asia Business Daily at his election camp in Yeouido, Seoul, on April 21, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

On May 17, through his supporter communication channel "Dream of Youth," Hong responded to a supporter who said, "After this local election, it is clear that the People Power Party will begin to dissolve. For the 23rd general election and the 22nd presidential election, please step forward to establish a new conservative party," by stating, "A group that has already lost its conservative identity now needs to disappear."

He argued, "The current People Power Party has become a burden to the people and is a group pursuing private interests rather than the national interest," adding, "Authentic conservatism must emerge anew." However, he did not comment specifically on the establishment of a new party.

Hong has previously argued that the People Power Party has lost its self-sufficiency, such as by bringing in presidential candidates from outside instead of nurturing them internally. He has maintained a critical stance, saying that a party like this, which ultimately handed over political power to the progressive camp, should now cease to exist.

Meanwhile, on his YouTube channel on May 16, Hong commented on the June 3 local elections, saying, "The results for first, second, and third place are as obvious as fire," and added, "(For elections outside of Seoul, Busan, and Daegu), even if I don't explicitly say so, I think that, except for the Ulsan region, most other regions are already decided."

Regarding the overall trend of the June 3 local elections, Hong predicted that in the Buk-gap district of Busan, Ha Jeong-woo, the Democratic Party candidate, has a high chance of winning. For the Daegu mayoral race, he said, "There is currently a strong 'Kim Boo-kyum wind,'" and added, "This election is about choosing who can complete the TK New Airport project," predicting Kim Boo-kyum's victory. Previously, in April, Hong named Democratic Party candidate Kim Boo-kyum as the most suitable next mayor of Daegu.

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