Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo noted on the 6th, “I will become the savior of the Republic of Korea, not a losing pitcher.”
On this day, Mayor Hong wrote on his Facebook, “I lost once in public sentiment, and I won the second time in public sentiment but lost in party sentiment. This time, I will win in both public sentiment and party sentiment to usher in the era of the seventh Republic of Korea and a Sunjin nation.”
Mayor Hong stated, “I will lay the groundwork for Korea’s future over the next 100 years,” adding, “I will proceed step by step without rushing.” He further said, “With 30 years of preparation and a national philosophy, I will not be a losing pitcher, as I was during Park Geun-hye's impeachment, but the savior of the Republic of Korea.”
Mayor Hong's message is interpreted as a reiteration of his intention to run in the early presidential election.
Earlier, in another post on Facebook that morning, Mayor Hong said, “With a joyful heart toward my last dream, I will head to Seoul to pursue that dream.”
He mentioned, “I will be moving for the 25th time,” adding, “Just like 53 years ago when I took an overnight train from Dongdaegu Station to Seoul, this time I will take the high-speed train.” He continued, “Next week is going to be a busy week,” saying he plans to visit for farewell greetings on Tuesday, visit the city council for farewell greetings on Thursday, and thank Daegu city hall staff on Friday. He expressed his intention to resign from the mayoral position next week.
If Mayor Hong resigns, Daegu will have Acting Mayor Kim Jeong-gi in charge.