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PPP lawmaker announces bid for Daegu mayoral election

Published: 29 Dec. 2025, 14:11

Rep. Choo Kyung-ho of the People Power Party delivers a statement regarding his arrest motion during a plenary session at the National Assembly on Nov. 27. [KIM SEONG-RYONG]

Rep. Choo Kyung-ho of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) said on Monday that he will run for mayor of the southeastern city of Daegu in the June 2026 local elections.

The three-term lawmaker made the announcement ahead of next year's June 3 vote in Daegu. He is currently standing trial over allegations that he played a role in obstructing lawmakers from voting to lift former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law decree on the night of Dec. 3, 2024, when he was serving as the party's floor leader.

Choo, who represents a Daegu constituency, a longtime conservative stronghold, said he decided to enter the race to breathe new life into his hometown, which was once considered the nation's third-largest city.

“I want to pour all of the experience and achievements that I have built up over my lifetime in the fields of economics, administration and politics into serving my hometown,” he wrote on Facebook.

Choo highlighted what he called his “economic leadership,” pointing to his 35-year career as an economic bureaucrat working on policy and budget issues, including his tenure as finance minister and as the PPP's former floor leader.

Addressing concerns over the legal risks surrounding him, Choo said he will seek the fair evaluation and judgment of Daegu citizens through the election, though he criticized what he called politically biased investigations by prosecutors.

“I may continue to face political attacks,” he said, “but I will firmly stand up to what I see as political oppression and retaliation and reveal the truth in court.”

Yonhap