The controversy surrounding the omission of rebar in the construction of the GTX-A transfer center near Samseong Station in Gangnam, Seoul, has prompted the campaign of Oh Se-hoon to assert that "numbers don't lie," labeling the Democratic Party's and Jeong Won-oh's criticisms as politically motivated.
Oh Joon-seok, spokesperson for Oh Se-hoon's campaign, stated, "The Democratic Party is attacking Oh Se-hoon using a 'fear frame' that stirs public anxiety, similar to their past tactics during the mad cow disease, THAAD, and Fukushima water contamination controversies. Politicizing scientifically verified issues prioritizes electoral gains over public safety."
The campaign emphasized the legitimacy of safety and administrative procedures, citing the number '98,60915,51.'
Oh Joon-seok explained, "The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport conducted a total of 98 trial runs on the affected GTX-A section after being informed of the rebar issue. Trial runs are only possible when there are no safety concerns."
He further criticized the Korea Railroad Corporation, the project’s contracting agency, for wavering in its stance, noting that it had previously indicated that the issue had minimal safety impact, but the Democratic Party's politicization has caused confusion.
The campaign also presented safety enhancement figures, stating that the 'steel plate reinforcement method' confirmed by the Seoul city government and the construction company in April would increase the rebar support strength to 60,915 kN, exceeding the original design strength of 58,604 kN.
Oh Joon-seok added, "The additional construction cost of approximately 3 billion won will be borne by the construction company, and once the reinforcement work is completed, this section will be the safest among the entire GTX line."
The campaign strongly refuted allegations of concealment, asserting that the Seoul city government had submitted a total of 51 reports to the Korea Railroad Corporation regarding the issue since last November, detailing problems, review results, and future handling plans. "Despite this, the Democratic Party has framed it as 'one-line reporting' and 'concealment,'" they claimed.
Previously, Jeong Won-oh and the Democratic Party criticized the rebar omission as a symbol of poor construction and a lack of safety awareness in Seoul, questioning the city's response and reporting system. The National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee has also seen ongoing disputes regarding the concealment and safety verification issues.
However, there are interpretations within and outside the political arena that this controversy may escalate beyond a mere technical safety issue to become a key point in the upcoming June 3 Seoul mayoral election.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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