Won Hee-ryong Declares He Will Not Run in Presidential Election 🗳️

Former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Won Hee-ryong, has announced he will not be running in the upcoming 21st presidential election. This decision comes as a surprise to many who had considered him a potential candidate.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Won expressed his sense of responsibility for the current political situation, stating, “The Yoon Suk-yeol government, in which I participated as the head of the policy headquarters for the presidential election committee and as the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, has faced presidential impeachment. I bear a great responsibility for this.”

He further explained that he had warned of the dangers of party divisions during the last party convention but was unable to prevent them. “I desperately warned that if the party and the government were divided, everyone would perish, but I could not stop it. It is because of my shortcomings. I will not run for president to fulfill my responsibility.”

Despite his decision not to run, Won affirmed his commitment to contributing to the party’s unity and the broader goal of winning the presidential election. “I will do whatever it takes to unite the party and gain public support for a presidential victory.”

Won’s announcement follows declarations of candidacy from several other prominent figures, including Kim Moon-soo (former Minister of Employment and Labor), Oh Se-hoon (Mayor of Seoul), Han Dong-hoon (former party leader), Hong Joon-pyo (Mayor of Daegu), Yoo Seung-min (former lawmaker), and Ahn Cheol-soo (incumbent lawmaker). Over ten individuals have already entered the presidential race.

This development adds another layer of intrigue to the already complex political landscape as the nation gears up for the next presidential election. 🤔