Seoul mayoral candidates Jeong Won-o, Park Joo-min, and Jeon Hyun-hee clashed over major policy issues including real estate and transportation. Analysts say scrutiny was concentrated on Jeong, who is regarded as the "myeongsim" candidate — the one believed to carry President Lee Jae-myung's implicit backing. Jeon criticized Jeong's pledges as "empty shells," while Park also pressed hard on policy effectiveness by questioning his funding plans.
Candidates Park and Jeon appeared on MBC's special "100-Minute Debate" held at MBC's new headquarters in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on May 31, both emphasizing in their opening remarks that they are "vetted candidates." Park said, "If vetting fails during the primary, the result is defeat in the general election. We need more thorough vetting and more rigorous debate." Jeon also stressed, "I am the candidate whom the Yoon Suk-yeol administration investigated thoroughly but found not a speck of dust on. You have to be clean to win. An uncertain candidate won't do." The remarks are interpreted as highlighting their strengths as vetted candidates, as a series of allegations have recently been raised against Jeong.
On President Lee Jae-myung's recent proposal to restrict free subway rides for senior citizens during rush hours, all three candidates said they "agreed with the intent." However, they showed differences on the method of restriction. Park said, "I understand the intent as exploring ways to increase public transit use while reducing congestion, given the energy crisis brought on by recent wars." He added, "What if we temporarily make public transit free or reduce fares to boost ridership, while diversifying and making commute hours more flexible to lower congestion?"
Jeon said, "For elderly people who actually commute to work during rush hours, we need to issue separate transit cards so they can continue to use the existing free transit system."
Jeong, however, argued that a voluntary campaign approach would be more appropriate than restrictions imposed by the government or the Seoul Metropolitan Government. "It is extremely difficult to distinguish between seniors who commute to work and those who do not, and it is also impossible to forcibly restrict elderly people's movement during rush hours," Jeong said. "Therefore, rather than restricting seniors' free subway rides during rush hours through government or city measures, we should conduct a campaign appealing for their voluntary cooperation in adjusting their travel during commute times."
Jeon strongly criticized Jeong's pledges as lacking feasibility. "Among Jeong's pledges, the 'affordable apartments' have a very low chance of being supplied within his term," Jeon said. "They are affordable in name only, with no realistic basis." She explained that if one assumes reconstruction and redevelopment projects in Seoul take more than 10 years, supply would be impossible within a single term. Jeong countered, "If they are needed, we have to build them," and asked, "If we are questioning feasibility, wouldn't all of Candidate Jeon's pledges face the same issue?" Jeon also called Jeong's pledge of "5-minute buses and 10-minute subways" something that "looks plausible but is an empty shell."
Park also scrutinized Jeong's pledge to make Seoul a "Global G2 City." Park said, "Jeong's idea is to attract private investment through Seoul's licensing and permitting authority, but that alone makes sufficient funding difficult." He added, "Seoul needs to separately establish an economic development corporation to actively attract private capital, including foreign investment." Jeong responded that creating business districts within Seoul would secure new growth engines and that "it is a method that does not require public funding."
Criticism also arose regarding Jeong's social media post at the time of former President Yoon Suk-yeol's life imprisonment sentencing, in which he wrote that "the court upheld the will of the citizens." Park said, "He initially wrote that it upheld the will of the citizens and later revised the post. Because it was difficult to view that sentencing as reflecting the public will, Candidate Jeon and I issued strong messages at the time." Jeong countered, "I said it upheld the will of the citizens in that even the Ji Gwi-yeon court, which had kept people trembling with anxiety, found the insurrection guilty."