The Busan native, who has been repeatedly courted by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), is expected to run in the southern port city's northwestern district of Buk-gu against Han Dong-hoon, the former leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), in what is likely to be a fiercely contested race between the two rival parties.
The DP's leader Jung Chung-rae met him for dinner over the weekend and reportedly persuaded him to run.
After repeated overtures from Jung, Ha seemed close to making up his mind about entering the race, though President Lee Jae Myung earlier made a light-hearted quip urging him "not to be swayed" by them, a comment many interpreted as a calculated move to raise Ha's profile, as he is still a political novice and largely unknown to many.
Once Ha formalizes his candidacy for the seat left vacant by former incumbent Jeon Jae-soo, who stepped down to run for mayor of Busan, a heated clash with Han awaits.
But Ha appears to have an advantage over Han, given his local roots, having been born and raised in the area through high school and his shared alma mater with Jeon, which could boost his appeal to voters.
Han, who is running as an independent candidate after being expelled from the PPP in January this year over allegations that included hundreds of defamatory comments about disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee posted on the conservative party's online bulletin board, will also have to compete with the PPP's candidate, Park Min-sik, a former minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
The district, the only one of Busan's 18 districts won by the DP in the 2024 general election despite being traditionally considered a conservative stronghold, has become a must-win battleground for the DP and would likewise be crucial for Han as he seeks a political comeback.
But the three-way race would make it difficult for the PPP to win, with some pundits speculating that it could lead to an eventual merger between Han and Park, though that remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, this year's local elections to elect about 4,000 metropolitan mayors, provincial governors and other local government heads nationwide are slated for June 3.
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