Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party's candidate for Seoul mayor, said Friday that he holds "a clear position that the rights of all single-home households must still be protected, as long as they are not for speculative purposes," regarding the long-term holding special deduction. After President Lee Jae-myung raised the need to abolish the deduction for non-resident single-home owners, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party's candidate for Seoul mayor, launched sweeping criticism, prompting Jung to voice his opposition to scrapping the deduction.
Jung made the remarks when asked by reporters about his stance on the long-term holding special deduction after paying respects at the tomb of late former President Roh Moo-hyun in Bongha Village, Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province. Turning to Mayor Oh, Jung said, "The job of the Seoul mayor is not to stir up conflict," adding, "Now is the time to join forces for people's livelihoods and the interests of citizens."
Earlier, Mayor Oh took issue with President Lee's remarks on abolishing the long-term holding special deduction and pressed Jung on the matter. Appearing on KBS Radio the same day, Oh said, "Seoul residents are extremely sensitive about this," adding, "At this point, the Seoul mayoral candidate must state his position without delay." Criticizing Jung, Oh said, "President Lee wrote about abolishing the long-term holding special deduction on social media and asked for his position, but there has been no response," adding, "Whatever the president says, even if it harms Seoul residents, he probably won't be able to object."
The dispute over the long-term holding special deduction has extended beyond the candidates to the ruling and opposition parties. Lawmakers on the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee from the People Power Party held a press conference, saying, "Abolishing the long-term holding special deduction is a declaration of war on the public to drop a tax bomb even on single-home owners." Han Jeoung-ae, chair of the Democratic Party's policy committee, countered, "The government and the ruling party have never considered abolishing the long-term holding special deduction for single-home owners."
