Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party's Seoul mayoral candidate, said, "This election is about making the central and local governments generate synergy," warning that "if candidate Oh Se-hoon wins, Seoul will be caught in a whirlpool of political strife for four years."
In an interview with the Seoul Economic Daily at his election office in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday, Jung—widely regarded as President Lee Jae-myung's pick—emphasized, "I will actively consult with the government to protect citizens' interests." Addressing concerns that aligning with the Lee administration's decentralization agenda would force Seoul to cede some of its authority, Jung said, "Matters already decided will proceed, and I will use them as leverage to secure cooperation from the government."
Regarding the Oh camp's offensive over the government and ruling party's real estate policies, including the abolition of the long-term holding special deduction, Jung countered, "My consistent position is that rights must be protected except for speculative purposes," adding that the opposition is "even making genuine homeowners anxious." On the controversy over granting indictment withdrawal authority through the "Yoon Suk-yeol administration fabricated indictment special counsel," which has emerged as a variable in the election, he criticized, "They are trying to drag legislative matters into local politics and turn them into political strife." On the electoral outlook, Jung responded cautiously, "Regardless of the polls, this will be a close race."
- The local elections are 30 days away. What is the state of the race?
△ There are polls showing me ahead by 10 to 15 percentage points, but regardless of those, the Seoul mayoral race will be close. Still, the mood on the ground is steadily improving.
- What is the greatest significance of this local election?
△ This local election is about replacing the capabilities of local government. It's an election to work in step with the central government and generate synergy. If candidate Oh wins, Seoul will be caught in a whirlpool of political strife for four years. Candidate Oh will keep sparring with President Lee while eyeing the presidential election. The damage will ultimately fall on the citizens.
- How do you evaluate Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's past administration?
△ In a word, it started big but ended small. During his earlier term, Mayor Oh resigned over an absurd matter (the free school meals referendum) while eyeing the presidency. It was done with the presidency in mind. The same applies since his return. For five straight years, he has pursued only large-scale projects while eyeing the presidency—projects that are big in appearance only, and showcase events.
- You have proposed "Chak-Chak Development" as a real estate pledge. How much supply is actually feasible?
△ Mayor Oh pledged 360,000 units or 80,000 units annually as campaign promises. He delivered less than half. Supply cannot be achieved through words alone. What citizens want is fast and safe supply. I will amend the Act on the Improvement of Urban Areas and Residential Environments to speed up redevelopment projects that have long been delayed.
More important than that is raising project feasibility. One reason feasibility falls short is that the purchase price for rental housing is unrealistic. If we set it at 80 percent of the basic construction cost, which is the benchmark for sale prices, feasibility can rise significantly. For the southwestern region in particular, I plan to designate semi-residential heavy industrial zones as "Floor Area Ratio Specialized Districts" to grant the maximum floor area ratio.
I will also dispatch managers under the mayor's direct supervision to each urban redevelopment zone so that projects can proceed quickly and safely at each stage. Most redevelopment projects fail to gain speed because of conflicts among union members or the inexperience of the unions. I want to reduce that. In addition, I plan to transfer authority over redevelopment projects under 500 units to district offices, so each district can handle civil complaints quickly.
- Can the redevelopment of Eunma Apartments and Jamsil Jugong No. 5, which have been under redevelopment for decades, be completed during your term?
△ I naturally believe that's the way it must go.
- Candidate Oh and the People Power Party are going on the offensive with real estate policies such as abolishing the long-term holding special deduction.
△ I have clearly stated my position on the long-term holding special deduction. The current rights of one-home, one-household owners living in their own homes must continue to be protected. Even for those not living in their own homes, they must be protected unless speculative intent is clear. This is a consistent position. Neither the government nor the president differs on this. If you look into it, the matter is quite clear, yet they are attacking it and even making genuine homeowners anxious.
- They are also attacking the push for the so-called "indictment withdrawal special counsel."
△ The president has addressed it all. (On the same day, President Lee said regarding the special counsel push, "The ruling Democratic Party should make a judgment through gathering public opinion and a process of deliberation.") That is work for the legislative branch. If legislative matters are brought into local government and everything is driven into political strife, citizens ultimately suffer. If even local administration is dragged into political strife, who will take care of citizens' daily lives? This alone shows that if candidate Oh becomes mayor, he will spend four years sparring with the government and engaging in political strife.
- Candidate Oh has called for a one-on-one debate.
△ The National Election Commission is planning everything. We can do it then.
- Being the "president's pick" is your biggest strength, but some worry that Seoul's administration will become too beholden to the central government.
△ Throughout Mayor Oh's term, he was in the same party as President Yoon Suk-yeol, so what problems were solved? On the contrary, Mayor Oh did not consult with the central government. The Banpo Cover Park is a representative example. Mayor Oh should have resolved it by consulting with the government, but he did not consult with the president. Isn't the mayor someone who attends Cabinet meetings? Because he couldn't do that, it ended up being resolved under the Lee Jae-myung administration. The Seoul mayor and the government belong to the same executive branch, and there are many matters requiring cooperation. I will actively consult with the government to protect citizens' interests.
- Given President Lee's decentralization pledge, Seoul may have to cede considerable authority.
△ The relocation of administrative agencies to regional areas is being carried out under a law enacted by the National Assembly, and it is proceeding because the opposition also agreed. We can actually leverage this situation to strengthen economic functions. For example, if the National Assembly relocates to a regional area, we can attract foreign companies to Yeouido and turn it into a financial center. We can make it a financial special zone like Manhattan in New York. To do that, we need to consult with the government, and we can actually use that as leverage. Matters already agreed upon must proceed as they are, and within that, I will use leverage to secure regulatory reform from the government. If elected, I will be able to attend Cabinet meetings, and I definitely want to raise this point. I will make Seoul an economic and cultural capital, and for that, special zone designation is needed. I will ask for that cooperation without fail.
- What pledge would you most like to introduce?
△ To make Seoul a global G2 city, I want to create new business-centered districts. Currently there are three—Gwanghwamun, Yeouido, and Gangnam business districts—and I will combine Seongsu, Wangsimni, and Cheongnyangni to create a new business district in the northeast. On the west side, I will combine Sinchon and Hongdae to create new business districts on both axes. For this, high-density mixed-use development will be carried out in those areas. Specific pledges including incentives will be announced soon.
- The opposition has taken issue with a remark regarding your transportation pledge that "reducing supply would suffice."
△ It's a very malicious attack. I promised a "30-minute commuter city," and the content is about reorganizing bus routes to improve village buses and public shuttle buses, thereby reducing the time it takes to reach public transportation from home. I also said that since commuting hours are fixed at 7 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m., introducing flexible working hours and staggered commuting times would disperse demand, making public transportation and road use more even and improving traffic flow. If you view this through supply-and-demand logic, it means improvements can be made without road expansion because supply is reduced—but they forcibly distorted it. It's truly laughable. I intend to take action on this.
- What is your solution for the city bus semi-public management system?
△ Bus companies and the Seoul Metropolitan Government are conducting research on that issue. Right now it's being kept under wraps, but it needs to be wrapped up. Resolving it will be noisy.
