The dynamics of Seoul's mayoral race have shifted as the polling gap between Democratic Party candidate Jung Won-oh and People Power Party candidate Oh Se-hoon narrowed, ending Jung's solo lead. Jung went on the offensive by naming Oh as the official responsible for the "missing rebar" incident at Samsung Station on the Greater Train eXpress (GTX)-A line, while Oh countered that the contractor was at fault, targeting the Democratic Party's weak link of real estate by unveiling housing measures for young people.
Jung opened his schedule on Monday with an attack on Oh. He visited the GTX-A construction site at Samsung Station to personally inspect issues related to construction errors, including the missing rebar. "If such a serious defect occurred, all construction should be halted, and additional work should proceed only after safety reinforcement following emergency meetings," Jung said. "The fact that this did not happen lays bare the Seoul Metropolitan Government's irresponsible safety complacency."
Jung added that "the line of authority responsible for approving the overall construction reportedly goes up to the director general level," urging Oh to "answer when he first received reports of the defective construction and what measures he took."
Jung's camp also tightened its offensive against Oh. Lee In-young, standing chairman of the election campaign committee, held a press briefing at the National Assembly on the same day. "We will work with members of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee to clearly identify the truth of the incident and prepare measures to prevent recurrence, and we will pursue legal accountability if necessary," Lee said. "If this exposes the true face of Oh, hidden behind 'show-munication' rather than genuine communication, we cannot help but be appalled."
Oh fired back at Jung's preemptive attack, saying, "He seems a bit pressured by the polls now," before dismissing the issue as "purely the fault of Hyundai Engineering & Construction, according to what I have learned about the circumstances."
Oh then announced his "Seoul My Home" pledge, under which homeless young people would pay only 20% of a home's price while the public sector covers the rest. Under the plan, homeless young people aged 19 to 39 can apply for a home of their choice priced at or below the Seoul median of 1.2 billion won, and the Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation (SH) will purchase the property. The young buyer pays only 20% of the price, with SH covering the remainder. When the young owner decides to sell, they receive returns proportional to their equity stake based on market value. "A structure in which young people's assets grow as Seoul grows is what true urban growth means," Oh said. "Seoul will be the first to create a system where development gains flow into the assets of future generations rather than into the pockets of a few."
Oh also held a policy meeting with the Metropolitan Reconstruction and Redevelopment Association on Monday afternoon, devoting his efforts to highlighting real estate issues.
