Candidates Clash Over Housing and Safety Ahead of Early Voting in Seoul Mayoral Race

In a joint debate held just seven hours before early voting for the local elections, candidates for the Seoul mayoralty discussed pressing issues such as housing and safety. The debate, featuring Jeong Won-o of the Democratic Party and Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party, among others, included scrutiny of each candidate's policies and allegations, but did not yield clear answers.
 

Jeong, Oh, Kim Jeong-cheol of the Reform Party, and Kwon Young-guk of the Justice Party participated in the TV debate hosted by SBS on May 28. Housing and safety were major topics of discussion.

In response to Oh's previous criticisms regarding new apartment supply, Jeong emphasized that "12 out of 21 designated areas for apartment supply have been completed since I took office as the Seongdong District Mayor." He added, "Oh promised to supply 360,000 units within five years during the 2021 mayoral election, but only 39,000 units were started from 2022 to 2024. Why blame the former mayor (the late Park Won-soon) and the government when you can't keep your own promises?"

Oh countered, stating, "All 21 designated areas were established during my first term. The former mayor removed 389 maintenance zones, and I am currently restoring what was destroyed." He also defended his administration's supply performance, claiming, "I promised to designate 60,000 units annually, but Jeong keeps twisting my words." He presented visual evidence to refute claims that he neglected the rental housing program, asserting, "I supplied more than the former mayor."
 

The debate also featured heated exchanges over allegations regarding the omission of rebar in the construction of the Greater Seoul Metropolitan Express Railway (GTX). Jeong accused Oh, stating, "Hyundai Engineering, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the supervisory company deemed it a serious construction defect, yet the Seoul City has not reported it." He emphasized, "There is no value more important than the lives and safety of citizens. You still haven't visited the Samsung Station site."

In response, Oh said, "The responsible department head assessed that the construction could continue based on expert opinions, and measures for improvement were established. I will not be dragged into using this as an election issue."

Oh then targeted Jeong over the so-called 'Baby Seat Donation' controversy in the Seongdong District, claiming, "It was reported that the district office guided the redevelopment association to donate facilities worth approximately 20 billion won, but the district office denies it. Shouldn't the association head be prosecuted for breach of trust?" He further questioned, "Jeong acknowledged the mistake regarding the daycare center issue in the Haengdang 7 District, but what about the public officials involved? Have they faced any disciplinary action?"

Jeong responded, "I explained that the donation was not possible when I took office, as it was decided by my predecessor, but the association and Baby Seat were involved in the process." He deflected the topic back to similar projects, asking, "Why are you only criticizing Haengdang 7?" He did not answer questions regarding the accountability of the responsible officials.

Jeong also avoided questions about his past convictions for assault and obstruction of official duties. Kim challenged him, saying, "When your assault conviction was raised, you mentioned the May 18 Democratic Movement as the reason. Did you ever pressure a female employee at a bar to go out with you, as stated in the 1995 Yangcheon District Council minutes?" However, Jeong replied, "I have addressed this issue multiple times through court rulings and media reports. You are trying to muddy the election process with irrelevant topics."
 

Kim criticized Jeong for avoiding debates, stating, "The president has endorsed you as a capable candidate, and you have come out with a nice package. But we cannot entrust the lives of 10 million Seoul citizens to a defective product in politics."

In response, Jeong said, "Debates often devolve into smear campaigns and negative attacks, which is predictable." Kim expressed disappointment that this was the first and last joint debate just hours before early voting, stating, "It is unfair to label attempts to verify through debate as negative campaigning."

During the debate, Jeong asserted, "Oh's administration is characterized by superficial governance. Please judge the 10 years of incompetence." He promised to support the safety and well-being of citizens. Oh urged voters, saying, "To serve as mayor, one needs prepared skills and verified experience. Please ensure that Seoul remains a minimum foothold to check the arrogance and unilateralism of the Lee Jae-myung administration."

Kim concluded with a call to end the politics of the two major parties, while Kwon urged voters to support the Justice Party, which stands for workers and tenants.