On the 24th, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo said, "If a presidential election occurs, I will resign from the mayoral position." He noted that he would resign mid-term during the National Power Party's primary stage if an early presidential election is decided.
During an online communication channel, "Dream of Youth," where he answers youth's concerns, Mayor Hong responded to a question about whether maintaining the mayoral position would be advantageous in either an early or regular presidential election by saying that if he comes to power, all issues in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK) region will be resolved, adding, "I cannot have obvious backing for my final challenge."
On the same day, he also posted on Facebook, "Conservatives collapse due to greed, while progressives collapse due to hypocrisy," adding that "genuine conservatives do not have greed or hypocrisy."
Meanwhile, Mayor Hong's side claimed that Myung Tae-kyun had previously made claims regarding 'election expense allegations,' asserting that Myung's attorney, Nam Sang-kwon, spread falsehoods that defamed his honor. The core of the allegations is that during the 2014 Gyeongsangnam-do governor election, Mayor Hong exceeded the legal limit for election expenses.
Daegu Deputy Mayor Jeong Jang-soo stated at a press conference that "during the election, we borrowed 1.52 billion won from six people to cover expenses and later received reimbursement from the election commission, fully repaying it with interest," stressing that "claiming that Hong has not repaid the money is malicious defamation."