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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Election campaigns halted as Seoul mayoral candidates visit bridge collapse site

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Seoul mayoral candidates Jung Yeon-wook and Oh Se-hoon suspended election campaigning after a bridge collapse.
  • Both candidates visited the accident site to assess the situation and express condolences.
  • Political party leaders also halted campaign activities to focus on the rescue and recovery efforts.

Seoul's mayoral candidates Jung Yeon-wook of the Democratic Party and Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party have temporarily suspended their election campaigns following a collapse at the Seosomun elevated road demolition site. The incident prompted both candidates to immediately head to the scene to monitor the situation and offer support.

Now is the time when rapid rescue and accident recovery are the top priorities.

· Jung Yeon-wookSeoul mayoral candidate Jung Yeon-wook announced the suspension of his election campaign to focus on the accident.

Jung Yeon-wook stated on Facebook that "fast-track rescue and accident recovery are the top priorities right now," announcing his decision to halt campaigning. At the site, he told reporters, "I hope for minimal casualties and a swift rescue." Oh Se-hoon also posted on Facebook, declaring, "From this moment on, I will suspend my election campaign and head to the scene immediately to assess the accident situation." His campaign stated that he requested the Seoul Metropolitan Government and relevant authorities to mobilize all resources for swift relief measures.

From this moment on, I will suspend my election campaign and head to the scene immediately to assess the accident situation.

· Oh Se-hoonSeoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon declared his intention to halt campaigning and visit the accident site.

Leaders from various political parties also interrupted their campaign schedules. Democratic Party leader Jung Cheong-rae, who was campaigning in North Chungcheong Province, urged authorities to "do their best to ensure no one else gets hurt" before canceling his rally in North Gyeongsang Province and returning to Seoul. People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk, upon hearing the news before a rally in Mapo District, announced on his campaign vehicle that "all schedules after today will be canceled" due to the accident response. He asked the audience to listen calmly and pray for no further injuries.

Authorities, please do your best to ensure no one else gets hurt.

· Jung Cheong-raeDemocratic Party leader Jung Cheong-rae urged swift action from authorities while campaigning.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government branch of the People Power Party announced it would suspend all election campaigning and performances. Party Chairwoman Bae Hyun-jin posted on Facebook, "The People Power Party's Seoul branch will temporarily suspend all election campaigns and performances by candidates until the rescue operation is safely completed." Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, upon receiving a report, issued an urgent directive to relevant agencies to mobilize all available equipment and personnel for rescue operations, prioritizing saving lives and ensuring smooth on-site activities. The elevated road, which had been classified as a D-grade structure and was undergoing demolition, collapsed around 2:33 PM, resulting in three deaths and three injuries so far.

Due to the accident response, all schedules after today will be canceled.

· Jang Dong-hyukPeople Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk informed supporters about the cancellation of future campaign events.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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