CHUNG DECLARES BID FOR PRESIDENCY

[Anchor Lead]

Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun officially declared his bid for presidency, vowing to become an economy president of a strong Korea. He is the fifth presidential candidate from the ruling party. Meanwhile, as the People Party Power continued criticizing former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, the former chief prosecutor said that he would go his way despite attacks from both the ruling and opposition camps.

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Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun officially declared he would run in the presidential election, vowing to become a president for the economy who will open the era of 40,000 dollars in gross national income. He is the fifth presidential candidate from the ruling bloc, following lawmaker Park Yong-jin, Chungcheongnam-do Governor Yang Seung-jo, Representative Lee Kwang-jae and Gangwon-do Governor Choi Moon-soon. The former PM said that resolving inequality is the zeitgeist of the time. He cited real estate ownership and the wage gap as the major examples of inequality and promised to build a coexisting labor market where workers are not discriminated against.

[Soundbite] Chung Sye-kyun(Former Prime Minister) : "I propose the dividends for major shareholders and salaries for executives and workers of conglomerates and large corporations be frozen for three years."

Former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yon also attended Chung’s ceremony. He plans to announce his own run for presidency later this month. Lawmakers supporting Lee and Chung demanded that the general assembly be convened to officially discuss the deferment of the primaries. Gyeonggi-do Governor Lee Jae-myung started courting supporters of President Moon Jae-in. He met with Gyeongsangnam-do Governor Kim Kyung-soo, a well-known pro-Moon insider, and agreed to solve the problem of population and housing concentration in the capital region.

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-myung(Gyeonggi-do Governor) : "I believe that a unilateral deregulation in the capital region is not desirable. I was deeply interested and participated in the self-governance and decentralization program championed by former President Roh Moo-hyun."

Later this month, former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl is expected to announce the start of his political career. But People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok said Yoon looks like an amateur and is not ready, so he should join the party to get help. However, Yoon vowed to do only what he set out to do and deal with political issues dictated by the people while promising to not respond to any attacks from the ruling and opposition parties.