Han Dong-hoon, the former leader of the People Power Party who officially announced his candidacy for the June 3rd presidential election, criticized Lee Jae-myung's declaration of candidacy on the 11th, saying, "I understand that you want to be president, but I’m not sure what kind of country you want to create."
After a meeting with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and shipbuilding partners at a hotel in Ulsan that afternoon, Han answered reporters’ questions about how he viewed Lee’s candidacy declaration.
He further pointed out, "Former President Yoon Seok-youl was forced to resign due to martial law, and if you look at the decision made by the eight judges of the Constitutional Court, there is in fact one more person who was ordered to step down: Lee Jae-myung."
Regarding ways to overcome the poor approval ratings of conservative presidential candidates, he stated, "I prevented the martial law. Therefore, I am freer and more dignified from the responsibility that will likely be pursued regarding the martial law from the Democratic Party of Lee Jae-myung. Conservatives are also those who prevented the martial law," and added, "If we unite with the will to become a growing middle-class nation, I am confident we will win against the Democratic Party of Lee Jae-myung."
In response to the party's calls for the expulsion of former President Yoon Seok-youl, he said, "The Constitutional Court has already made a decision," and noted, "I don’t think it’s something to debate or discuss around us."
On the idea of deploying Han Duck-soo as acting president, he stated, "The world situation surrounding us is not easy, and the government’s appropriate response is necessary. Prime Minister Han is doing that job well," and added, "I don’t think there’s a need to distract from the focus by asking for candidacy when he himself is not speaking out."
Han Dong-hoon began a two-day visit to Ulsan and Busan. He first visited an automotive parts manufacturer in Ulsan in the morning to meet with workers, followed by a meeting with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and shipbuilding partners in the afternoon.
Han explained the reason for choosing Ulsan, the first site of his visit after declaring his intention to run for president, saying, "I want to accurately grasp the difficult situation of the industry affected by the Trump tariff situation in Ulsan, the heart of the shipbuilding and automotive industries, and show what our politics needs to do."
He also emphasized at the meeting, "Currently, South Korea is not the only country facing a tariff shock from President Trump. If that's the case, then capable countries can seize opportunities, and South Korea must become such a country," and urged, "Corporations need to do everything they can, and the battles that corporations cannot fight must be tackled by politics and the government."
Han stated, "Corporations find it difficult to deal with Trump and China. In the candidacy declaration, I mentioned a ‘two-year future growth plan’ where the president will take charge of the economy directly, but strong economic leadership is essential in this era."
Han will move to Busan later that afternoon to meet with citizens.