Journalist

Hyeon Mi Cho
  • Seoul Mayoral Candidates Unveil Pet and Transportation Policies
    Seoul Mayoral Candidates Unveil Pet and Transportation Policies Seoul mayoral candidates Jung Won-oh of the Democratic Party and Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party each unveiled their respective policies on pets and transportation on May 10, aiming to capture voter attention during the holiday period. Jung announced his "Happy Pet Family Seoul" pledge on his Facebook page in the morning and later visited a pet training and stray dog shelter at the Gyeongdong Market to hear from the community. The core of his proposal is to establish a welfare system for pets that covers everything from adoption to care, medical treatment, and burial. As part of this initiative, he plans to gradually implement a "standard veterinary fee system" to reduce the financial burden of pet medical expenses. Jung stated, "Excessive medical costs lead to abandonment and anxiety in pet ownership," adding, "We will create an environment where pet owners can care for their animals with transparency and predictability in costs." The Seoul Animal Welfare Support Center will be expanded into a central hub for animal welfare, assisting with reporting, rescue, care, medical treatment, adoption, and relocation of stray and lost animals. Plans are in place to establish public pet boarding facilities and dog parks in all 25 districts. Jung emphasized, "We will create a new standard for coexistence and respect between pet owners and non-pet owners in Seoul." Oh Se-hoon, on the same day, announced his transportation policy at his campaign office in Gwancheol-dong, focusing on enhancing transportation infrastructure in northeastern, northwestern, and southwestern Seoul, as well as integrating the climate card and expanding its application. Oh pledged to invest 20.8 trillion won to focus on "connecting transportation arteries." He aims to expedite the completion of seven urban rail lines, including the Gangbuk Cross-Line, Myeonmok Line, Western Line, Mokdong Line, Nankok Line, Uiwisinsel Extension Line, and the Northeast Line. Funding will come from public contributions and revenue from the sale of public land through the "Gangbuk Renaissance Fund." This fall, he plans to introduce the "Seoul Climate Companion Pass," which will integrate the climate card created during his previous term with the government’s K-Pass. This pass will expand its usage to include the GTX-A and the Seoul section of the Shinbundang Line, and extend eligibility for young people up to 42 years old. Citizens aged 70 and above who use public transport fewer than 15 times a month will receive a 100% subsidy for transportation costs. Additionally, a wireless communication-based train interval maintenance system will be introduced to efficiently reduce subway wait times, and the number of autonomous express buses and late-night buses will be significantly increased, starting with a service at 3:30 a.m. Oh stated, "Transportation is one of the most important policies related to the quality of life for Seoul citizens, alongside housing," and assured that he would ensure a solid financial plan so that citizens would not worry about feasibility. Meanwhile, Oh reiterated his call for a one-on-one debate with Jung. After his policy announcement, Oh told reporters, "It is unfortunate that Jung has declined to participate in the one-on-one debate scheduled for May 11 following the Kwanhun Debate." He added, "We need an opportunity to discuss housing supply, price stabilization, and the real estate issues stemming from the Lee Jae-myung administration's loan regulations and tax increases, and to show this to the citizens."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-11 02:58:34
  • Seoul mayoral candidates clash on transit: card merger vs. free bus fares for 70+
    Seoul mayoral candidates clash on transit: card merger vs. free bus fares for 70+ Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party candidate for Seoul mayor, on May 7 proposed expanding rail service in northern Seoul and merging the city’s Climate Companion Card with the government’s K-Pass. Rival candidate Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party said savings from a merger should be used to subsidize bus fares for residents 70 and older. Jung announced the plan at the National Assembly press center as part of his “30-minute commute” pledge. His proposals include building a new Dongbu Line linking Suyu-dong in northern Seoul with the Sports Complex in Gangnam, expanding rail networks in the north, creating a grid-style rail system across Seoul, and setting up an express-bus transfer hub at the Man-nam Square area in Yangjae-dong. “We will connect Seoul’s rail lines more tightly and link roads without bottlenecks, tying Gangbuk and Gangnam together and starting a transportation revolution toward a 30-minute commute city,” Jung said. He also pledged to create a nationwide transit card by integrating Seoul’s Climate Companion Card with the government’s “Everyone’s Card” (K-Pass), under the name “K-Everyone’s Climate Companion Card,” to reduce the burden of public transportation costs. Jung said the existing Climate Companion Card benefits would be maintained while expanding the usable area nationwide, adding that he would build a system in which benefits increase with heavier use. Oh raised the issue of merging the Climate Companion Card while presenting housing pledges earlier May 7, outlining how he would use the savings. Oh, who introduced the Climate Companion Card during his time as Seoul mayor, said the Lee Jae-myung government rolled out a card using the same system, forcing residents to weigh which card offers better value. After reviewing whether the two needed to coexist, he said, he concluded they should be integrated to spare residents that inconvenience. Oh said a merger would cut Seoul’s budget and free up 70 billion won to as much as more than 100 billion won, which he plans to use to support bus fares for seniors 70 and older. He said he would announce details soon.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-07 14:52:29
  • Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon vows faster redevelopment, expanded relocation loans
    Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon vows faster redevelopment, expanded relocation loans Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party’s candidate for Seoul mayor, said May 7 he would introduce a “fast-track integrated” system and expand the city’s tailored consulting service known as “Shintong 120” to cut redevelopment and reconstruction timelines to within 10 years and broaden relocation-loan support for cooperative members. Oh announced the housing pledges at a rooftop event at the Shilla Building in the Daerim 1 redevelopment area in Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo District. The plan followed his previous day’s pledge to supply 130,000 public housing units. Oh said he has long pursued what he called a “supply-first” strategy and argued that speeding up stalled supply is key. He pledged to start construction on a total of 310,000 housing units by 2031, saying a chain of moves from older apartments and villas into newly built apartments would create a virtuous cycle in housing supply. Of the groundbreaking target, 87,000 units would be net new supply, his campaign said. It said that figure is well above the 32,000 units the Lee Jae-myung government said it would start by 2030 under its Jan. 29 measures. The pledges focus on shortening project timelines by building on the “rapid integrated planning” approach introduced during Oh’s time as mayor. Under the proposed fast-track integrated system, organizers would skip forming a redevelopment cooperative promotion committee and process project implementation approval and the management-and-disposition plan approval at the same time. Oh said the city would also provide guidelines so building plans and cost-sharing can be set while the two plans proceed in parallel. Oh said Shintong 120, a unified phone-consultation platform, would provide guidance on land status and applicable development options to reduce confusion. He also pledged to introduce “Shintong AI Planning,” using artificial intelligence to prevent repeated rejections during review. In areas where private-sector 추진 is not smooth, he said the Seoul Housing & Communities Corp. (SH) would lead a “public rapid integrated” program. Oh also pledged support for cooperative members struggling to relocate amid government lending restrictions. He said Seoul would significantly expand its housing promotion fund, financed by subscription-savings resources, to increase loans for relocating households and help projects break ground sooner. Oh continued sharp criticism of Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party’s Seoul mayoral candidate. “The housing type Seoul citizens prefer most is newly built apartments,” Oh said, calling Jung’s proposal to supply villas and residential-style lodging facilities an idea that ignores market principles. He added that the Democratic Party has been hostile to redevelopment and reconstruction and “still is,” in his view. Responding to Jung’s criticism that housing supply fell sharply during Oh’s time as mayor, Oh said it misleads voters. “Construction is done by the private sector, and Seoul’s role is to create the business environment through swift permitting,” Oh said. He added that Jung, having served as a district mayor for more than 10 years, should know that, and said portraying an opponent as if he did not deliver housing supply is misleading and “not conscientious.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-07 13:06:15
  • Seoul mayoral rivals Jung Won-oh and Oh Se-hoon trade barbs over housing supply
    Seoul mayoral rivals Jung Won-oh and Oh Se-hoon trade barbs over housing supply Democratic Party candidate Jung Won-oh and People Power Party candidate Oh Se-hoon, both running for Seoul mayor, campaigned for older voters on May 6 by each calling himself “Seoul’s eldest son,” while continuing to clash over housing supply. The two appeared together in the morning at the Seoul chapter’s 54th Parents’ Day event of the Korea Senior Citizens Association at Jangchung Arena in Jung-gu. Oh arrived first, and Jung came in slightly after the opening time. They greeted each other with smiles and a handshake, but competed in their remarks. Jung said he remembered seniors’ contributions to the country and society, adding, “When I was Seongdong district mayor, you called me Seongdong’s eldest son. Now I will become Seoul’s eldest son.” After Jung left for another schedule, Oh told the audience, “The real eldest son of Seoul greets you,” and said his first pledge was a “healthier, higher-quality-of-life special city, Seoul.” He said he would pursue “healthy longevity” and make Seoul “the world’s longest-living city.” The rivals also kept up their dispute over how to expand housing supply in Seoul. Oh announced an afternoon pledge he called a “comprehensive plan to expand a housing mobility safety net” aimed at stabilizing housing for residents without homes. The plan’s centerpiece is supplying 123,000 public rental units and 6,500 public for-sale units by 2031. For the public for-sale portion, Oh proposed a “Baro Nae Jip” model that includes land-lease apartments priced at about half of nearby market levels and installment-plan apartments requiring a 20% upfront payment. He also pledged to expand long-term jeonse housing — which he said carries no risk of jeonse fraud — from 37,000 units to 106,000 by 2031. “With an overwhelming expansion of supply, we will lower the barriers for residents without homes to enter homeownership and greatly increase safe housing options without worries about jeonse fraud,” Oh said. Oh also launched what he called a “Real Estate Hell Citizens Countermeasures Committee,” criticizing the real estate policies of the Lee Jae-myung government and Jung. At the committee’s kickoff news conference, Oh took aim at Jung’s pledge to expand non-apartment supply, including villas, saying many Seoul residents want newly built apartments. “Policies that ignore reality are bound to fail,” he said. Jung’s campaign quickly pushed back. Kim Gyuhyun, a spokesperson for Jung’s election committee, said in a statement that Oh’s side was “recklessly trying to divide” residents who live in apartments and those who do not. Kim questioned whether an apartment supply plan that takes 10 years until move-in could address the urgency of residents facing jeonse contract expirations as soon as next year. Kim said Jung would shorten redevelopment project timelines to within 10 years and use villas, urban lifestyle housing and purchased rental housing together to pursue long-term supply while responding in the short term. He also said Jung would build “high-quality villa models” with safety, security and community features to broaden stable housing options for young people, newlyweds, one-person households and older single-person households. Jung’s campaign also criticized Oh’s “Real Estate Hell” committee. Spokesperson Park Kyung-mi pointed to Oh as responsible for what she called failures in Seoul’s real estate policy, saying, “The more he tries to mislead public opinion with provocative words, the noose will only tighten around himself.” She added, “Distorting facts and blaming others cannot cover up the failures of a four-term mayor.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-06 16:55:34
  • Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon vows 130,000 public homes by 2031, expands long-term lease housing
    Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon vows 130,000 public homes by 2031, expands long-term lease housing Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party’s candidate for Seoul mayor, said he would supply about 130,000 public housing units by 2031 and expand long-term lease housing designed to reduce fears of jeonse fraud. Oh announced the pledge Tuesday as part of what his campaign called a comprehensive plan to strengthen a “housing mobility safety net.” The plan focuses on three pillars — expanding housing supply, boosting financial support and lowering housing costs — to stabilize housing for residents without homes, his camp said. It is aimed at countering rising jeonse prices and a shrinking number of listings through more supply and financing support. Under the slogan “the answer to the housing problem is overwhelming supply,” Oh said he would provide 123,000 public rental units and 6,500 public for-sale units by 2031. For the public for-sale portion, he pledged to introduce a “Baro Nae Jip” model that includes land-lease apartments priced at about half of nearby market levels and installment-plan apartments requiring a 20% upfront payment, to lower barriers to homeownership. He also said long-term lease housing would expand to 106,000 units by 2031 from 37,000 now. Oh also pledged to restore what he called Seoul residents’ “sovereignty” over housing funds. His campaign said Seoul residents have contributed about 25 trillion won to the national Housing and Urban Fund through subscription savings, but only about 10 trillion won has been invested in housing projects in Seoul. Oh said he would seek to expand the fund and strengthen support for private-sector housing supply, including land purchases and construction costs. “Seoul has been building a housing promotion fund for the past year and now holds about 5 trillion won,” Oh said. “If I become mayor, I will press the government more strongly to increase it to 10 trillion won.” The plan also calls for life-stage housing cost support. Oh said the city would raise the ceiling for interest-free deposit loans under the Long-term Relief Housing program to up to 70 million won, and subsidize loan interest for newlywed couples living in public rental housing for up to 12 years. He pledged to extend youth rent support to 12 months from 10 and broaden eligibility to include single-parent families and victims of jeonse fraud. For middle-aged residents without homes, he proposed a new “matching savings account” program that would combine rent support with city-backed savings to help participants build a 10 million won nest egg. Oh also pledged a three-step protection system to prevent jeonse fraud. It would include a pre-contract risk screening service, an “safety manager” with a licensed real estate agent credential to accompany tenants when signing contracts, and post-contract support such as subsidies for jeonse deposit return guarantee insurance. For vulnerable groups including young people, he said the city would guarantee 100% coverage through deposit return guarantees. Oh on Tuesday also formally launched the “Real Estate Hell” civic task force. “I will go deeper into the field and step up efforts to deliver, in citizens’ own voices, the hardships faced by residents without homes, including turmoil in the monthly and jeonse rental markets,” he said. 2026-05-06 15:23:42
  • Seoul mayoral rivals clash over villas as answer to rental crunch
    Seoul mayoral rivals clash over villas as answer to rental crunch Seoul mayoral candidates Jung Won-oh of the Democratic Party and Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party, who have traded barbs for days over the city’s housing policy, clashed again on Monday over whether “villas” can help ease the rental crunch. Oh’s campaign said Jung’s suggestion that supplying villas and similar housing could resolve the monthly rent and jeonse squeeze within two to three years was “dangerous.” Jung’s camp responded that villas are a legitimate form of housing and accused Oh of an apartment-only mindset. Park Yong-chan, a spokesperson for Oh’s election committee, said in a statement that Jung “caused trouble again,” criticizing Jung’s remarks as implying the rental crisis could be solved in two to three years by supplying villas. Park was referring to Jung’s comments the previous day at a meeting with district chief candidates, where Jung said the city could craft measures within two to three years and increase supply by using villas, officetels and “living-type lodging facilities.” Park argued the core cause of Seoul’s rental turmoil is an “absolute shortage” of apartment rental supply stemming from what he called the Lee Jae-myung administration’s misguided real estate policies. He said criticism is mounting that Jung is offering an “absurd” alternative while ignoring the root problem. Kim Jae-seop, a lawmaker who serves as a co-chair of Oh’s campaign, also attacked Jung’s remarks. In a Facebook post, Kim criticized what he called a “Jung Won-oh-style ‘crab, carp and frog’ theory,” saying Jung lives in a “proper apartment” while telling Seoul residents to live in villas. Kim wrote that the Democratic Party’s “hypocrisy DNA” was showing again, referring to a phrase used to criticize telling ordinary people not to aspire upward. Kim also said President Lee Jae-myung raised barriers for young people and newlyweds seeking apartments through what he called a “double shackle” of lending restrictions and the land transaction permit system. He said offering non-apartment housing as an alternative to people who want to live in apartments is either deceiving Seoul residents or “nonsense.” Jung’s camp said Seoul’s housing problems should not be viewed only through the lens of apartment supply. Lee Ju-hee, a spokesperson for Jung’s campaign, said Oh was “looking in the wrong place,” adding that criticism of so-called “villa phobia” was aimed not at residents who live in villas but at Oh’s “narrow” insistence on apartments. “Villas are clearly one form of housing,” Lee said, arguing that the city should consider flexible and diverse housing types. She said Oh’s apartment-centered view shows a “fatal” lack of policy imagination and flexibility, and called it “shallow” to reduce Seoul’s housing prices solely to a shortage of apartment supply. Lee also accused Oh of failing to move beyond an outdated view of housing as a tool for speculation and investment, and said it would be “close to impossible” to expect innovative city administration given what she called Oh’s decade of uncommunicative governance. Kim Nam-geun, a lawmaker who heads policy for Jung’s campaign, joined the criticism, saying Oh was “consistently distorting” Jung’s remarks. Kim said that given the time required for redevelopment projects, it is the mayor’s duty and a public role to reduce supply-demand instability by quickly supplying non-apartment housing such as villas and officetels. Kim said Oh’s camp had turned Jung’s comment — that “if the public sector leads the supply of villas and officetels, it can be done in two to three years” — into a claim that “the rental crunch will be solved in two to three years,” calling it a “clear falsehood.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 16:57:17
  • People Power Party Local Candidates Demand Withdrawal of Special Counsel Bill
    People Power Party Local Candidates Demand Withdrawal of Special Counsel Bill Candidates from the People Power Party running for metropolitan and provincial governor posts in the June 3 local elections demanded on May 5 that the Democratic Party withdraw what it calls a special counsel bill to investigate alleged “fabricated indictments.” They said the measure amounts to an unconstitutional attempt to cancel prosecutions to benefit President Lee Jae-myung and would undermine the constitutional order and the rule of law. Oh Se-hoon, the PPP’s Seoul mayoral candidate, and nine other PPP candidates held an emergency news conference in front of Bosingak in central Seoul and released a resolution titled “PPP metropolitan and provincial candidates’ statement to stop Lee Jae-myung’s judicial coup attempt.” Also attending were Incheon mayoral candidate Yoo Jeong-bok, Sejong mayoral candidate Choi Min-ho, Gyeonggi gubernatorial candidate Yang Hyang-ja, Gangwon gubernatorial candidate Kim Jin-tae, North Chungcheong gubernatorial candidate Kim Young-hwan and North Jeolla gubernatorial candidate Yang Jeong-mu. PPP candidates Lee Jeong-hyeon, running for the Jeonnam-Gwangju integrated mayor post, and Moon Seong-yu, running for Jeju governor, did not attend but joined the statement. The candidates said the bill is “a clear attempt at a judicial coup” that would shake the national justice system “for the sake of one person,” Lee, and warned it would face “harsh public judgment.” They said they would not stand by and pledged to fight “to the end” alongside political parties, civic groups and citizens who share the goal of defending the constitutional order. They urged the Democratic Party to withdraw the bill and called on Lee to pledge that he will not seek cancellation of prosecutions during his term. “The Democratic Party must immediately halt the push for a special counsel bill aimed at an unconstitutional cancellation of prosecutions for Lee Jae-myung’s self-exoneration, and it must withdraw the bill already introduced,” they said. They also called on Lee to “clearly state before the public” that there will be no cancellation of prosecutions related to his own allegations during his term and that he will stand trial according to law and principle. They also demanded that ruling-party candidates for metropolitan and provincial posts “immediately disclose to the public” whether they support or oppose the special counsel bill. Before the statement was read, Yang Jeong-mu said, “You can’t cover the sky with your hand,” adding that no one in South Korea can be above the law and that everyone is equal before it. Kim Jin-tae, who led the news conference, cited what he called an old principle of Roman law — that no one can be a judge in their own case — and said denying that principle would amount to a collapse of the rule of law and “insurrection.” The PPP candidates said they plan to rally public opinion to block the bill, including through a nationwide online petition. Oh said the party is working to flesh out ways to cooperate with opposition forces and would announce details once they are set. Oh, Yoo and Yang Hyang-ja met the previous day at the National Assembly with New Reform Party candidates Kim Jeong-cheol, running for Seoul mayor, and Cho Eung-cheon, running for Gyeonggi governor, and agreed to work together to stop the bill.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 14:48:14
  • Seoul Mayor Candidate Oh Se-hoon Pledges to Double City Kids Cafes, Build Job-Experience Theme Parks
    Seoul Mayor Candidate Oh Se-hoon Pledges to Double City Kids Cafes, Build Job-Experience Theme Parks Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party’s Seoul mayoral candidate, said Tuesday he would double the number of Seoul-style kids cafes and build a new public job-experience theme park called “Seoul Children’s Imagination Land.” Oh announced the plan, billed as “Happy Kids City Seoul,” at the Green Green Kids Cafe inside the Seoul International Garden Show at Seoul Forest in Seongdong-gu on Children’s Day. Oh’s campaign said the pledge aims to redesign the city from children’s perspective while easing parents’ caregiving burden. It also seeks to expand hands-on play facilities across Seoul so children can access them regardless of where they live. The Seoul-style kids cafes — promoted as a budget-friendly option — would expand to 404 locations by 2030, about double the current number. The cafes charge up to 5,000 won per child for two hours, with accompanying parents admitted free. Since the first location opened in May 2022, cumulative users topped 1 million in three years, the campaign said. Oh also pledged to set up at least one infant-only kids cafe in each district and introduce “Green Green Kids Cafes” in all districts, linking them with forests and the Han River. On weekends, the city would operate 30 mobile playground sites under the “Here and There Kids Cafe” program, he said. Oh said the city would also create “Seoul Children’s Imagination Land” at eight hubs across Seoul, including Gangbuk, Seongbuk and Gangseo, offering career exploration and creative activities at fees far lower than private facilities. To reduce families’ private tutoring costs for arts education, he pledged to launch the “Children’s Arts Seed” program, providing eight months of practical training — including vocal music, instrumental music, theater and dance — for students in grades 3 through 6. “Investing in children’s happiness is the surest way to design Seoul’s future,” Oh said. “Building on the changes already underway in Seoul, I will decisively complete an environment where parents can feel secure and children can run and play to their hearts’ content.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-05 10:30:14
  • Seoul mayoral rivals Jeong Won-oh and Oh Se-hoon roll out Labor Day pledges
    Seoul mayoral rivals Jeong Won-oh and Oh Se-hoon roll out Labor Day pledges On April 30, a day before Labor Day, Seoul mayoral candidates Jeong Won-oh of the Democratic Party and Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party released labor pledges as they sought support from workers. Jeong said, “If Seoul runs on labor, the city government must also take responsibility for the time of working citizens,” as he unveiled proposals centered on expanding flexible work arrangements and supporting paid sick leave for freelancers. Under the banner of “Seoul, a special city that respects labor, rebuilt with the voices of working citizens,” Jeong said his plan aims to improve work-life balance and strengthen the right to rest when sick. He pledged to expand flexible work options — including work-from-home, remote work and staggered hours — as part of a “30-minute commute city” initiative, and to introduce paid sick leave for vulnerable workers such as freelancers and the self-employed. Jeong said May 1 would be “the first day to greet the holiday under the name ‘Labor Day’ for the first time in 63 years,” explaining why he chose to announce the pledges then. He also said he visited the Sinjeong rail depot and the Yangcheon public bus garage early that morning to meet subway and bus workers, and later laid flowers at a Jeon Tae-il statue near Cheonggyecheon. “I will carry the labor sites I met at dawn today and Jeon Tae-il’s dream into Seoul’s policies,” he said. Oh visited the Gasan Digital Complex (G-Valley) in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, where he had lunch with young office workers and heard their concerns, while releasing his labor pledges in writing. “Your ordinary day, lived diligently, is Seoul’s future,” Oh told workers, adding, “I will work to build workplaces where the value of labor is respected and fairness and coexistence are firmly established.” Oh’s proposals focused on strengthening the safety net for vulnerable workers and addressing on-the-job problems. He pledged “hospital living-cost support” to ease financial strain during hospitalization, expanded tailored health checkups for workers in health blind spots, and a safety support system for small workplaces. He also pledged to expand late-night “owl bus” routes to help about 200,000 late-night workers in their 20s and 30s, and to provide once-a-year support for psychological counseling services and the cost of special health screenings for night work. He said the city would newly introduce a “late-night in-home caregiving service” for families facing care gaps because a guardian works nights. “Seoul must be a strong fence so the vulnerable can stand back up without despair,” Oh said. “I will 반드시 resolve the reality of not being able to rest when sick and the problem of not being able to focus at work because of caregiving worries, and make this a city where labor is respected.” The two candidates also continued sparring over real estate policy. In a statement, Jeong’s camp said Oh’s side blames a housing supply cliff on former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, but argued the real cause was that residents lifted redevelopment district designations made indiscriminately during Oh’s time as mayor. Jeong’s camp added, “Seoul citizens gave Oh four chances, but all that came back was a loud, empty cart.” Oh’s camp again raised controversy over remarks by President Lee Jae-myung about abolishing the long-term holding special deduction. Asked about the deduction while presenting his second pledge, Oh said, “Even the Democratic Party says it has never discussed it at the party level, but Jeong is taking the same position as the president.” He added, “I have serious doubts whether, as a Seoul mayoral candidate, he can ease anxiety about an issue many Seoul citizens are concerned about,” escalating his criticism.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-30 18:54:22
  • Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Pledges Citywide Mental Health Plan to Fight Loneliness
    Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Pledges Citywide Mental Health Plan to Fight Loneliness Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party’s candidate for Seoul mayor, said April 30 he would pursue a policy package called “Seoul Mind Fitness Recovery” so that “Seoul residents can be healthy not only in body but also in mind.” Oh announced the mental health pledge at the Seoul Mind Convenience Store Gwanak branch inside Seongmin Comprehensive Social Welfare Center in Sillim-dong, saying he would “overwhelmingly complete” changes launched under the city’s “Loneliness-Free Seoul” policy initiative. The plan is his second official campaign pledge and his second health-related promise, following the “Steel Stamina, Vibrant Seoul” proposal released a day earlier. Oh said health should be enjoyed equally “regardless of wealth or social achievement,” and argued that income and asset gaps should not lead to health gaps that widen differences in happiness. At the center of the proposal is building a “mental safety belt” under which the city would directly manage invisible risks such as isolation and loneliness to strengthen residents’ mental resilience. Oh said he would accelerate what he called “heart-ware” — beyond hardware and software — building on results from the Loneliness-Free Seoul program introduced in 2024, when he was Seoul mayor. For older residents, the plan links the health app “Sonmok Doctor 9988” with a mobile app called “Brainfit 45” to offer self-checks for dementia risk and tailored missions such as cognitive training and walking. It also calls for closer management of men in their 50s and 60s, described as the group at highest risk of social isolation. Using administrative data such as job loss or divorce, the city would identify households in crisis earlier and set up an always-on check-in system combining artificial intelligence and KakaoTalk. Oh also pledged to expand a project for isolated and reclusive young people, investing a total of 109 billion won by 2030. The plan includes opening dedicated mental health clinics at facilities such as Eunpyeong Hospital and operating a family-support living lab to help relatives take part in recovery. Psychological counseling, previously limited to high-risk groups, would be expanded to all residents under a “citywide mind rebuilding project.” Oh said 16 billion won would be used to provide private professional counseling vouchers to 100,000 people a year. Support would cover up to eight sessions per person, at 80,000 won per session, to help manage mild mental health issues before they worsen. Offline support hubs would also be expanded. “Mind Convenience Stores,” which offer counseling and simple food, would grow from four locations to at least one in each district, and mobile versions would operate in areas with many one-person households. Oh also said he plans to create an urban healing space in the Seongsu-dong area using Seoul Forest. “Loneliness is a condition that any modern person can carry,” Oh said, adding that two years of policy experiments gave him confidence it can be reduced. He said the city would expand programs such as the Mind Convenience Store so any Seoul resident can use them, and repeated his pledge to “overwhelmingly complete” changes already underway.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-30 16:07:18