Daegu: Lee Jin-sook, a former broadcasting watchdog chief under ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, announced on Saturday that she would not pursue the mayorship of Daegu after being excluded from the primary of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP).

According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee, who previously led the Korea Media and Communications Commission, had been contemplating an independent run in the upcoming June 3 local elections following her exclusion from the PPP's nomination process a month ago. The party justified its decision by emphasizing the need for a candidate with economic expertise, rather than political experience, to address the economic challenges facing the declining metropolitan city of Daegu. Lee's political connections to the disgraced former president Yoon Suk Yeol were also noted.

During a press conference at the party's office in Daegu, located approximately 250 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Lee stated, "I am stepping down as a preliminary candidate for Daegu mayor. I will back the party's nominee, once selected in the primary tomorrow, to defeat the Democratic Party contender." Although she expressed dissatisfaction with what she described as an "unfair" nomination process, she ultimately decided against running independently. The risk of an opposition party victory in the conservative bastion was a significant factor in her decision to refrain from entering the race.