Yoo Jeong-bok, the mayor of Incheon and president of the Council of the Governors of the Republic of Korea, officially declared his candidacy for the presidential election in front of the MacArthur statue at Incheon Freedom Park on the morning of the 9th.
Mayor Yoo, a member of the People Power Party, said, "I stand here with resolve at a historic site that successfully carried out the Incheon landing operation 75 years ago and safeguarded free Korea," and noted, "I will bring an end to the politics of falsehood, hypocrisy, and agitation that burdens the people and create a new Korea overflowing with truth, justice, and freedom."
He also stated, "I will become a reformist president who ends the constitutional system of 1987, a government that empowers the people, and a caring president who wipes the tears of the people in difficulty and hardship."
Mayor Yoo recently drew attention by holding a press conference in the National Assembly and announcing a constitutional amendment aimed at decentralization, which includes a four-year presidential term and a bicameral system. He emphasized, "I am the first in the political world to present a complete constitutional amendment from the main text to the provisions," and "It is on a different level from Lee Jae-myung, the former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea's 'I resonate with the need for constitutional amendment, but now is not the time' — a distracting amendment."
Mayor Yoo remarked, "We have endured political confrontation and chaos akin to civil war for the past several months," and said, "Now we must completely overturn the political arena that only gives the people division and suffering and start anew with unifying politics." He also promised a reorganization of key ministries regarding the outdated national structure reform.
He stated, "I will reform the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Security and Public Administration to the point of dismantling them, as they do not fit the current times," and added, "To prevent a ranking system that lines up future generations, I will reform the Ministry of Education and abolish the College Scholastic Ability Test, leaving student selection to the discretion of the universities."
Mayor Yoo further noted, "Having served as mayor of Incheon for seven years, I have achieved the highest economic growth rate and the highest birth rate increase among the 17 cities and provinces, proving myself with concrete results unlike past politicians who only speak," and said, "I will expand the condensed know-how gained in Incheon to the entire country." Mayor Yoo plans to participate in the People Power Party's presidential primary while maintaining his position as mayor of Incheon.
Born in Incheon, Mayor Yoo graduated from Songrim Elementary School, Seonin Middle School, Jemulpo High School, and Yonsei University with a major in political science and diplomacy. He served as the appointed mayor of Gimpo County, the head of Seo-gu District in Incheon, and a directly elected mayor of Gimpo, after which he was a three-term member of the National Assembly. After serving as the Minister of the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Security and Public Administration, he was elected mayor of Incheon for the 6th term (2014-2018) and took office as the mayor for the 8th term in 2022. He has been serving as the president of the Council of Governors since this year.