Former Korea Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jin-sook said she will not run in the June 3 Daegu mayoral election. Following National Assembly Vice Speaker Joo Ho-young, who was cut off (excluded from nomination) in the Daegu mayoral primary, Lee also declared she would not run as an independent, setting up a head-to-head race in the Daegu mayoral general election between the People Power Party candidate to be decided on the 26th and Democratic Party of Korea candidate Kim Boo-kyum.
On the morning of the 25th, Lee held a press conference at the People Power Party Daegu City Chapter auditorium and said she would step down from her position as a preliminary candidate for Daegu mayor. It came 73 days after she threw her hat into the ring for the Daegu mayoral race on Feb. 12.
Lee expressed regret over the People Power Party nomination management committee's cutoff decision. Lee said, "On March 22, the committee announced the cutoff without an acceptable explanation. Despite having no disqualifying reasons such as corruption or abuse of power, I was excluded for the vague reason that I 'need to be used on a larger stage,'" and added, "For 35 days I asked for the restoration of this unjust cutoff, but it was not accepted. Such unfair cases must never be repeated."
Initially, Lee was said to have even weighed running as an independent. Lee said, "I was confident I could win as a citizens' candidate and wanted to prove the power of citizens, but one concern held me back," adding, "I felt a greater responsibility to prevent a situation where even Daegu falls to the left, the red heart of conservatism turns blue, and the Republic of Korea is seized by populism," explaining the reason for not running.
Lee then took aim at the Lee Jae-myung administration, saying it is pushing bills impossible under a liberal democratic system, such as a law distortion offense and adding Supreme Court justices. Lee said, "When the People Power Party candidate is elected tomorrow (the 26th), I will add my strength so that that person can defeat the Democratic Party candidate and protect Daegu from a lawless administration."
Meanwhile, the People Power Party plans to nominate as its Daegu mayoral candidate the person who wins the final against either Rep. Choo Kyung-ho or Rep. Yoo Young-ha. The one who becomes the final candidate among the two is expected to wage a close race with the ruling party against Democratic Party of Korea candidate Kim Boo-kyum for the Daegu mayor's seat.