Yu Jeong-bok, Mayor of Incheon, Declares Presidential Candidacy at Freedom Park

Incheon Mayor Yu Jeong-bok officially announced his candidacy for the 21st presidential election at Freedom Park in Incheon. His core pledges include constitutional amendment, political reform, and a free market economy. He plans to participate in the People Power Party’s primary while maintaining his position as mayor. Let’s dive into the details!

Key Points of Yu Jeong-bok’s Presidential Candidacy Announcement

• Declaration Location: Freedom Park, Incheon (symbolic site of the Incheon Landing Operation during the Korean War)
• Key Message: “A second Incheon Landing Operation” to restore the Republic of Korea
• Core Pledges:
  • Constitutional amendment for decentralized power
  • Political reform
  • Establishment of a free market economy

Full Article Summary

Yu Jeong-bok, the Mayor of Incheon, declared his candidacy for the 21st presidential election, stating his commitment to safeguarding freedom and revitalizing South Korea. He made this announcement at Freedom Park in Incheon, a location significant for the historic Incheon Landing Operation. He aims to end politics filled with lies and promote truth, justice, and freedom.

Yu emphasized his role as a ‘constitutional amendment president,’ advocating for a decentralized government that returns power to the people. His major pledges include reforming the National Assembly and election systems by introducing a multi-member constituency system and a bicameral system. He also plans to reorganize government departments to enhance future strategic functions and overhaul the national management system.

In economic policy, Yu aims to enact a ‘Free Market Economy Basic Law’ to correct excessive regulations on businesses and markets, fostering a virtuous cycle of growth and distribution. He envisions a society where hard work is respected and rewarded, and dependency on others’ achievements is discouraged.

Yu Jeong-bok also paid respects at the Chungnyeol Tower in Subong Park and the MacArthur Statue in Freedom Park before his announcement. He will hold a central candidacy press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall. He intends to run in the People Power Party’s presidential primary while maintaining his position as the Mayor of Incheon. Yu’s background includes being the governor of Gimpo County, mayor of Incheon’s Seo-gu, and the mayor of Gimpo. He also served as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Minister of Security and Public Administration.

Full Article

[Incheon = Newis] Reporter Jeon Jin-hwan = Incheon Mayor Yu Jeong-bok is holding a press conference at MacArthur Statue in Jayu (Freedom) Park, Jung-gu, Incheon on the morning of the 9th, declaring his candidacy for the 21st presidential election. 2025.04.09. amin2@newsis.com

[Incheon = Newis] Reporter Kim Dong-young = Incheon Mayor Yu Jeong-bok officially declared his candidacy for the 21st presidential election on the 9th, saying, “I will carry out the second Incheon Landing Operation to protect the value of freedom and straighten up the collapsing Republic of Korea.”

Mayor Yu held a presidential candidacy declaration ceremony in front of the MacArthur Statue in Jayu Park, Jung-gu, Incheon at 11 a.m. that day, saying, “I will end the politics that make the people suffer with lies, hypocrisy, and agitation, and create a Republic of Korea full of truth, justice, and freedom.”

He said, “The site of history where the Incheon Landing Operation, which was thought to be impossible 75 years ago, was successful and protected today’s free Republic of Korea is right here,” and added, “I will definitely straighten up the Republic of Korea with the second Incheon Landing Operation.”

He said, “I will become a constitutional amendment president,” and emphasized, “I will open an era of true national sovereignty with a decentralization-type constitutional amendment that returns the imperial power held by the president, central government, and National Assembly to the people.”

Mayor Yu also presented major national tasks and pledges to be promoted if elected president at the declaration ceremony that day.

First, he put forward constitutional amendment through decentralization reform as a core task. Seeing that the current constitution, represented by the 1987 system, has limitations in realizing the era of national sovereignty, he plans to promote a constitutional amendment that returns the powers held by the president, central government, and National Assembly to local governments and the people. He also plans to overhaul the National Assembly system and election system. The plan is to prevent the concentration and abuse of power in the National Assembly through the introduction of a multi-member constituency system and a bicameral system, and to reorganize the parliamentary structure to strengthen national representation.

Government reorganization was also included as a major pledge. Mayor Yu said that he would innovatively reorganize major government ministries to create a system with future strategy functions and comprehensively reform the national operating system. He expressed his will to transform it into a government that actually empowers the people beyond simple organizational reorganization.

In the public welfare sector, he explained that he would enact the ‘Free Market Economy Basic Law’. The plan is to create an economic structure in which growth and distribution are in a virtuous cycle by correcting excessive regulations on companies and markets and fundamentally blocking anti-corporate and anti-market behavior. In particular, he emphasized that he would aim for a fair society where people who work are respected and can become rich with fair compensation, and conversely, where behavior that does not work and relies on the achievements of others is not tolerated.

Mayor Yu appealed for support, saying, “I will create a world where truth and justice are central, not politics trapped in camp logic,” and “As a person who has been working looking only at the people, I will definitely open a new Republic of Korea.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Yu Jeong-bok paid his respects at the Chungnyeol Tower in Subong Park in Incheon at 10 a.m. that day, and then visited the MacArthur Statue located in Jayu Park in Jung-gu to officially declare his candidacy for president. At 1:40 p.m., he will hold a central candidacy press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall and embark on a full-fledged presidential campaign.

It is reported that Mayor Yu plans to participate in the People Power Party’s presidential candidate race while maintaining his position as the Mayor of Incheon.

Born in Incheon, Mayor Yu graduated from Songrim Elementary School, Seonin Middle School, Jemulpo High School, and Yonsei University with a degree in Political Science and Diplomacy. Afterwards, he served as a government-appointed Gimpo County Governor, Incheon Seo-gu Mayor, and private Gimpo Mayor, and was a three-term lawmaker from Gimpo.

In the central government, he served as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Minister of Security and Public Administration (currently the Ministry of Public Administration and Security). He served as the 6th private Incheon Mayor from 2014 to 2018. Following this, he returned as the 8th private Incheon Mayor through the 8th National Simultaneous Local Elections in 2022 and has been leading the city administration to date.