Hong Joon-pyo, the former mayor of Daegu who declared his retirement from politics after being eliminated in the People Power Party presidential primary, has officially hinted at the possibility of forming a new party.
On the 9th, when a supporter on his online communication channel 'Dream of Youth' requested, "If you return to politics, I hope it will be a new party centered around 'Hongka' (Hong Joon-pyo)," the former mayor replied briefly, "Understood." This effectively indicated a positive stance toward the formation of a new party.
When another supporter expressed concern saying, "The rumor that you are going to the Reform Party has everyone in a state of confusion. If you go to the Reform Party, you will be associated with the bat image," the former mayor dismissed it, saying, "That's a baseless rumor." However, he responded with "Understood" to the comment suggesting, "It would be good to go to the Reform Party next year," not ruling out the possibility of an alliance with Representative Lee Jun-seok.
He drew the line on the possibility of returning to the People Power Party. When a supporter said, "There has been no successful example of a third party in a two-party system. Please do not fully close the door to returning to the People Power Party," the former mayor responded, "I believe the Lee Jae-myung administration will file a petition to dissolve the People Power Party as an unconstitutional party due to the insurrection accomplice and forced candidate replacement incidents," adding, "The starting point will be the passage of the insurrection special prosecution law."
The former mayor also posted on Facebook the previous day, stating, "The pseudo-conservative party, which is one pillar of the Yeouido two-party system, now needs to be dismantled," and remarked that "New forces prioritizing national interests should come together to create a future for Korea against the Democratic Party's autocratic regime."
Kim Dae-sik, who was Hong's secretary during his presidential candidacy, also stated on YTN radio that day, "He must be thinking a lot. He could ally with the Lee Jun-seok party or could form a new party."