Ha Jung-woo, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate for Busan Buk-gap, held a news conference on the morning of the 1st and said, "A candidate who confronts the Lee Jae-myung administration and the development of Buk-gu cannot coexist," adding, "The Upstage controversy is a smear campaign intended to influence the vote."
On the same day, candidate Ha held a news conference in the briefing room of the Busan Metropolitan Council in Yeonje-gu, Busan, appealed for support, and then took questions. Regarding the high early voting rate, Ha said, "The will of Buk-gu residents and their intent to vote for the development of Buk-gu have appeared in the early voting rate."
Regarding former President Lee Myung-bak's visit to Busan on the 31st, Ha said, "Agendas such as rebuilding and unifying the conservative camp may be meaningful at the national level, but what Buk-gu needs now is to close the development gap."
Ha went on to say, "Amid an inter-state AI competition that is tantamount to war, the National Assembly needs more people with technical backgrounds and expertise," adding, "If I go into national politics, I want to play a role in elevating priorities such as development directions beyond simple debate."
When asked about the connection between Buk-gu and AI, Ha cited health care as an example and said, "We can turn into data whether individuals visit hospitals depending on their conditions, diet, and symptoms, and advance the platformization of welfare and medical institutions and their consolidation."
On independent candidate Han Dong-hoon, Ha said, "Given Buk-gu's fiscal self-reliance, many issues have to be resolved as national projects, but Han is setting up a confrontational stance with the Lee Jae-myung administration," adding, "While an independent candidate goes up to Seoul, stays there, and fights for political strife, Buk-gu will naturally be left unattended."
Finally, regarding the controversy over acquiring Upstage shares, Ha said, "Upstage has provided a full explanation, and the Ministry of Personnel Management also said there is no problem at all," adding, "I see it as a smear campaign thrown to influence the vote during an election period when verification is difficult."