Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo said on the 8th, "Yongsan (the Presidential Office) has become a symbol of disconnection and sorcery," and added, "If elected president, I will enter the Blue House."
Mayor Hong made the remarks while meeting with reporters in Daegu that day.
Mayor Hong stated, "I was very worried when former President Yoon Seok-yeol left the Blue House. The Blue House is a symbol of national dignity, and I was worried that it would be looked down upon if it left, and that actually happened throughout his term," and added, "Would Lee Jae-myung have any intention of going to Yongsan if he became president?"
In response to the question, "Shouldn't we join forces with the anti-impeachment faction to win the intra-party primary?" he replied, "I'm not running for the primary after watching the primary. I won't capture people for the sake of winning the primary." He added, "For the strategy to win the final election, I will only look at the people," and continued, "If that doesn't work out, that's as far as my luck goes."
Regarding the inquiry, "Shouldn't we prepare for the Myung Tae-kyun allegations?" he said, "There's nothing to prepare or not prepare. The Democratic Party is likely to have numerous documents, but what they have made public is just a 'birthday greeting' text."
He also stated about other local government heads declaring their candidacy for the presidential election, "They are trying to elevate their status ahead of the local elections next year."
In response to the criticism of being "autocratic," he said, "How can a leader lead without being autocratic? A leader who just follows public opinion is not a leader. Then, being president becomes very easy. You just have to conduct polls and follow them."
He explained, "Of course, there are moments when compromise is necessary. However, principles must not be shaken," and added, "Moon Soo-hyung (Kim Moon-soo) might be a Taliban, but I'm different. I have flexibility." This response is interpreted as a way to keep in check Kim Moon-soo, the Minister of Employment and Labor, who is currently leading the polls among conservative presidential candidates. Minister Kim officially resigned from his position that day, and will likely begin serious preparations for his presidential candidacy.