Presidential hopeful Park Geun-hye declares re-election bid

DAEGU, July 19 (Yonhap) -- Former ruling party leader and strong presidential contender Park Geun-hye said Tuesday that she will keep her constituency in her stronghold city of Daegu in next year's parliamentary elections.
Park has been elected in the Dalseong district in Daegu, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, four times since 1998. There was speculation that Park might seek to run in a district in Seoul or a nearby area in an effort to boost her chances in the presidential poll set for December next year.
"As I had promised to my voters, I will keep the trust till the end," she told reporters during a visit to Daegu for a factory groundbreaking ceremony.
Park, a daughter of late former President Park Jung-hee, is considered a front-runner in the presidential race. She has commanded a large lead in opinion polls over other Grand National Party (GNP) aspirants and potential opposition candidates, including opposition leader Sohn Hak-kyu.
Asked what roles she would play in reviving the struggling GNP, Park said the party should make earnest efforts to pick the right candidates for the race to win back people's support.
"Right now, we have to focus on how the party can make earnest efforts to proceed with a transparent nomination process so as to receive public recognition," she said.


ejkim@yna.co.kr