Ex-Daegu Mayor Hong declares presidential bid

Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo officially announced his bid for the June 3 presidential election Monday, in his third run for president.

Declaring his run in a Facebook post, Hong stressed the Democratic Party’s presumed front-runner Lee Jae-myung should be brought to trial now that the aftermath of former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law imposition was concluded with his ouster.

“This presidential election is a choice between a Hong Joon-pyo administration and a Lee Jae-myung administration,” Hong said, presenting himself as a candidate with extensive experience and proven competence while describing Lee as a defendant facing five trials on corruption charges with four criminal records.

Hong, affiliated with the conservative People Power Party, also said he will hold a summit meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump if he takes office.

“I will defend our national interests against Trump in a diplomatic way if he comes out with a conventional diplomatic approach, but if he approaches matters like a businessman, I will respond correspondingly,” he said.

“North Korea’s nuclear weapons can only be deterred with nuclear weapons, and since North Korea’s nuclear weapons have become a reality, we too must equip ourselves with nuclear capabilities,” he added.

South Korea will hold a presidential election June 3, after the Constitutional Court upheld Yoon’s impeachment earlier this month, forcing him out of office.