Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo speaks at a press conference in Daegu in December. (Newsis)
Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo speaks at a press conference in Daegu in December. (Newsis)

Conservative heavyweight Hong Joon-pyo said he would step down from his Daegu mayor post if the Constitutional Court decides to uphold President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment and an early presidential election is called.

Hong, 70, said on Youth Dream, a website for his supporters, that he would "step down from the mayor position if the presidential election takes shape." The verdict of Yoon's impeachment trial could be handed down as early as March.

Article 53 of the Public Official Election Act stipulates that a candidate must resign from his or her post no later than 30 days before the day of an extraordinary election.

This would translate to 30 days after Yoon's ouster, as the successor to an impeached president must be elected within 60 days through an extraordinary election, according to the Constitution.

South Korea is expecting a potential early presidential election to end the monthslong leadership vacuum that followed the martial law crisis last December.

Suspended President Yoon will experience an abrupt departure from his five-year term if the court upholds a motion to impeach him. He was inaugurated in May 2022.

"If I come to power, problems in TK (region) will be resolved," Hong added, referring to Daegu and adjacent North Gyeongsang Province, often identified as the "TK region."

His comments came in response to an anonymous online user's post, which advised Hong to stay in his post whether or not the early presidential election occurs.

Later on the same website, replying to a separate post by an anonymous user, Hong said it would be his "last attempt" to run for president, adding he would not choose to become someone else's hidden supporter.

Hong made similar comments regarding his potential presidential bid last December. At a press conference as Daegu mayor, Hong said he would run for president if an early presidential election were called, asking, "How could a vendor not intend to appear at a market when the market opens?"

Hong served five terms as a lawmaker to conservative Korean parties and was elected mayor of Daegu in 2022.

In the 2017 presidential election, Hong lost to liberal frontrunner Moon Jae-in. Hong also sought presidential nomination in 2007 and 2022 but lost to former president Lee Myung-bak and incumbent Yoon, respectively.

In the latest Gallup Korea poll released Friday, Hong was considered a potential presidential candidate from the conservative bloc, with a popularity rating of 5 percent. Hong followed opposition leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung's 34 percent and Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo's 9 percent.


consnow@heraldcorp.com