Seoul mayoral rivals Oh Se-hoon and Jung Won-oh court social workers in first joint appearance

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, left, Seoul Association of Social Workers President Kwak Kyung-in, and Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate Jung Won-oh attend the association’s 40th anniversary ceremony at the Baekbeom Kim Koo Memorial Hall convention hall in Yongsan District, Seoul, on April 22, 2026. [Photo by Yoo Dae-gil, dbeorlf123@ajunews.com]

Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate Jung Won-oh and People Power Party candidate Oh Se-hoon, the incumbent Seoul mayor, appeared side by side at an official event for the first time since their nominations were confirmed on April 22, seeking support from social workers.

They attended the 40th anniversary ceremony of the Seoul Association of Social Workers that afternoon at the Baekbeom Kim Koo Memorial Hall in Seoul’s Hyochang-dong neighborhood. Also present were Seoul Vice Mayor for Political Affairs Kim Byung-min, Democratic Party lawmakers Nam In-soon and Jung Tae-ho, and People Power Party lawmakers Seo Myung-ok and Kim Jae-seop.

In congratulatory remarks, Oh said Seoul has made “accompanying the vulnerable” the top priority of city administration and pointed to what he described as policy results.

“Seoul is an administrative unit where debt tends to keep rising, but during my term the debt fell significantly,” Oh said. He added that even under tight budgets, the city has worked each year to raise social workers’ pay and bring allowances in line with reality to improve working conditions.

Oh said a survey of social welfare workers showed job satisfaction rose to 81.7% from 64.4% three years earlier.

“I believe a warmer and healthier special city with a higher quality of life will be completed when social workers can take pride in their work,” he said.

Oh also signaled his desire to serve another term, saying he wanted to “take responsibility to the end” so social workers can focus on their jobs in a better environment.

Jung, casting himself as the challenger, responded by setting a higher target.

“Since Mayor Oh says he did so well that job satisfaction rose into the 80% range, I’ll set my goal at 90%,” Jung said.
He also highlighted his personal ties to the field, noting his wife is a social worker and that he studied social welfare.

Jung said that while working as Seongdong district mayor, he felt most strongly that welfare is not completed by systems and budgets alone but “at the fingertips of social workers.”

“I will do everything I can so that those fingertips can carry strength and warmth,” he said.

* This article has been translated by AI.

HYE YOUNG KO