SEOUL, April 14 (AJP) - Han Dong-hoon, the former leader of the main opposition People Power Party, said he wants to devote himself to improving the lives of residents in Busan, hinting that he will run for local elections slated for early June.
Calling the southern port city his "political hometown," Han, who has yet to formally declare his candidacy, said he respects what he described as Busan's role in protecting South Korea and steering the country back on track, in an interview with CBS Radio on Tuesday.
He promised he would do his best so that residents in the city's northwestern district of Buk-gu could be a little better off, indicating the seat he intends to run for. Han also said he is prepared to serve the district better than anyone.
His comments came just a day after he wrote on social media that he had rented a flat in the city.
It is now almost certain that Han is running as an independent candidate for the district after being expelled from the PPP in January this year over dubious allegations that included hundreds of defamatory comments about disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee posted on the party's online bulletin board, making the district likely to become one of key battlegrounds.
Amid mounting calls within the ruling Democratic Party (DP) to field Ha Jung-woo, the presidential adviser for artificial intelligence and future strategies, the Busan native is widely expected to declare his bid in what looks to be a fiercely contested race between the two rival parties.
This year's local elections, which will elect more than 4,000 metropolitan mayors, provincial governors and other heads of local governments nationwide, will be held on June 3.
Calling the southern port city his "political hometown," Han, who has yet to formally declare his candidacy, said he respects what he described as Busan's role in protecting South Korea and steering the country back on track, in an interview with CBS Radio on Tuesday.
He promised he would do his best so that residents in the city's northwestern district of Buk-gu could be a little better off, indicating the seat he intends to run for. Han also said he is prepared to serve the district better than anyone.
His comments came just a day after he wrote on social media that he had rented a flat in the city.
It is now almost certain that Han is running as an independent candidate for the district after being expelled from the PPP in January this year over dubious allegations that included hundreds of defamatory comments about disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee posted on the party's online bulletin board, making the district likely to become one of key battlegrounds.
Amid mounting calls within the ruling Democratic Party (DP) to field Ha Jung-woo, the presidential adviser for artificial intelligence and future strategies, the Busan native is widely expected to declare his bid in what looks to be a fiercely contested race between the two rival parties.
This year's local elections, which will elect more than 4,000 metropolitan mayors, provincial governors and other heads of local governments nationwide, will be held on June 3.
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