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Seoul Candidate Oh Se-hoon Alleges 'Smell of Corruption' in Opponent's Dealings
🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Seoul Candidate Oh Se-hoon Alleges 'Smell of Corruption' in Opponent's Dealings

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon accused his opponent, Chung Soon-shin, of corruption related to a temple donation and a local media tie-up.
  • Oh alleged that Chung, as Seongdong district mayor, facilitated a 4.8 billion won temple construction as a donation-in-kind, which the district later refused to accept.
  • The candidate also pointed to a disproportionate allocation of district publicity funds to a local media outlet, calling it a

As a journalist for Dong-A Ilbo, we report on the escalating political tensions in Seoul as the mayoral election approaches. Candidate Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party has launched a sharp attack against his opponent, Chung Soon-shin, leveling serious accusations of corruption and mismanagement.

The smell of corruption is thick.

— Oh Se-hoonReferring to the allegations against his opponent.

Oh's campaign has zeroed in on the so-called 'Baby Goddess Shrine donation-in-kind' controversy, alleging that Chung, during his tenure as Seongdong district mayor, engineered a situation where a temple construction project, valued at approximately 4.8 billion won, was intended as a donation to the district. However, Oh claims the district later refused to accept the completed building, creating a significant financial and administrative mess for residents.

This is not an isolated incident. Oh also highlighted issues surrounding a local daycare center's donation-in-kind, criticizing Chung's administrative competence. He pointed to a situation where 1.7 billion won paid by a development association for the daycare's construction was returned by the district office two years later, citing a need for the donation to be in kind rather than cash, a move Oh deemed "absurd" given the impending move-in date for residents.

This is a triple set of corrupt cartel.

— Oh Se-hoonDescribing the alleged corruption involving a temple donation, a daycare center, and a local media tie-up.

Furthermore, Oh connected these issues to a pattern of alleged cronyism, citing that 73% of Seongdong district's publicity funds were allocated to a specific local media outlet during Chung's term. Oh dramatically labeled this a "triple set of corrupt cartel," emphasizing the perceived stench of corruption. He challenged Chung to a debate, suggesting his opponent fears the exposure of his alleged corruption, incompetence, and irresponsibility. From our perspective at Dong-A Ilbo, these allegations strike at the heart of public trust and raise critical questions about the integrity of local governance in Seoul.

The suspicion will be revealed through investigation.

— Oh Se-hoonResponding to his opponent's reluctance to debate the specific allegations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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