Hong Jun-pyo Denies Appointment as Senior Campaign Chairman of Kim Moon-soo's Camp
According to a report by News1, former Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo outright denied the announcement from Kim Moon-soo's camp regarding his acceptance of the position as "Senior Campaign Chairman."
On his Facebook account on the 9th, Hong stated, "I have already left the People Power Party and declared that I will not be involved in this presidential election," adding, "I will depart for the United States tomorrow (10th). I will return after the election."
This statement directly contradicts the announcement made the same day by Kim Moon-soo's camp, which stated in a group chat with media outlets, "Today (9th), Candidate Kim appointed former Mayor Hong as the Senior Campaign Chairman," and claimed, "Former Mayor Hong said he would change his plans to leave for the U.S. on May 10 and accept the position to support Candidate Kim's election victory."
Confusion in Kim Moon-soo's Camp Leads to Deletion of Announcement
After Hong's denial, Kim Moon-soo's camp appeared flustered.
Representative Kim Dae-sik, who served as the chief of staff in Hong's campaign team, confirmed, "Former Mayor Hong will leave for the U.S. tomorrow," adding that Hong's camp stated, "Candidate Kim proposed the Senior Campaign Chairman position, but (Hong) said he would not take it" and that "he will depart for the U.S. as scheduled tomorrow."
Ultimately, Kim's camp deleted the message from the group chat after the situation unfolded in which the party's main figure, Hong Jun-pyo, denied the announcement. Afterward, Kim's camp explained, "This afternoon, Candidate Kim spoke with former Mayor Hong and requested him to accept the Senior Campaign Chairman position, and there is a fact that Hong provided a positive response." However, they added, "Since Hong has clearly indicated that he will not take the position afterward, it is appropriate to respect that intention."
Hong Jun-pyo Scheduled to Depart for the U.S. After Declaring Retirement from Politics
Former Mayor Hong Jun-pyo ran as a candidate in the People Power Party's primary for the presidential election but was eliminated in the final selection of the "final two candidates" on the 29th of last month.
Immediately after his elimination, he declared his retirement from politics at a press conference, and the following day, on April 30, he submitted his resignation from the People Power Party in Seoul.
Additionally, on May 5, Hong announced, "I will go to the U.S. to plan for the third act of my life," indicating his upcoming trip to the U.S. This incident appears to have occurred because Kim Moon-soo's camp hastily released an announcement without properly understanding Hong's plans.
This situation has revealed internal communication issues within Kim Moon-soo's camp, raising concerns that it may hinder the gathering of support ahead of the presidential election.
In a call with News1, Kim's camp expressed that they found the current situation somewhat perplexing.
Image source: News1
