Seoul Mayoral Candidates Clash on Safety and Governance in Final Campaign Push

With the local elections looming, Seoul mayoral candidates Cho Woon-sup of the Democratic Party and Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party launched a final push for votes during the last weekend before polling day. Both candidates crisscrossed the capital, engaging with citizens and appealing for support in the closing days of the official campaign period.

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Mayor Oh has consistently acted as if the missing rebar at Samsung Station is someone else's problem, not his own.

Cho Woon-sup focused his criticism on incumbent Mayor Oh Se-hoon, highlighting the recent incident of missing rebar at the Samsung Station construction site for the GTX-A line. Cho accused Oh of exhibiting "safety blindness" and indifference, stating, "The market must change due to safety blindness. Otherwise, accidents will continue to occur, and citizens will be unable to live their daily lives in peace."

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We must change the mayor due to safety blindness. Otherwise, accidents will continue to occur, and citizens will be unable to live their daily lives in peace.

Conversely, Oh Se-hoon framed the election as a judgment on the central government, positioning himself as a "guardian of citizens' rights" rather than a "figurehead." He declared his intention to present "Five Orders for Seoul Citizens" to the President at the first cabinet meeting if re-elected, addressing issues such as normalizing redevelopment conditions, revitalizing private rental housing, preventing "tax bombs" on real estate, easing regulations in the Seoul metropolitan area, and blocking the cancellation of indictments.

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The candidate chosen by the president can only act at a figurehead level. Seoul needs a guardian of citizens' rights, not a figurehead.

Cho countered Oh's approach, asserting that the Seoul mayor's role is not to fight the president. He criticized Oh's perceived political ambition, suggesting Oh aims to obstruct the president's work to advance his own career. The candidates' final weekend efforts underscored the sharp contrasts in their campaign strategies and core messages as they sought to sway undecided voters in the critical final days.

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If you grant me the position of Seoul Mayor once more, I will explain and push for the 'Five Orders for Seoul Citizens' in front of the president at the cabinet meeting immediately after taking office.