DistantNews
Support us
🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Seoul Mayoral Candidates Prioritize Safety in Campaign Resumption

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Seoul mayoral candidates Jung Jin-haeng (Democratic Party) and Oh Se-hoon (People Power Party) resumed campaigning after a safety-related suspension, focusing on urban safety.
  • Jung pledged to establish a "Mayor-Direct Life Safety Committee" and increase preventative safety budgets.
  • Oh emphasized his readiness to tackle safety issues, citing past efforts like mandatory CCTV installation on construction sites.

Following a suspension due to the Seosomun elevated road collapse, Seoul mayoral candidates Jung Jin-haeng of the Democratic Party and Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party have resumed campaigning, centering their platforms on urban safety.

Jung Jin-haeng announced plans to establish a "Mayor-Direct Life Safety Committee" if elected, prioritizing safety as the city's top concern. He argued that preventative spending is seven times more effective than post-accident recovery and vowed to shift Seoul's administrative focus from reactive measures to proactive prevention. His proposals include increasing the portion of the city's disaster management fund allocated to prevention from 10% to 30%, establishing a multi-layered inspection system involving various city departments, and conducting comprehensive checks on construction sites, underground spaces, and aging infrastructure.

What the mayor prioritizes determines the priorities of Seoul's administration.

— Jung Jin-haengExplaining his focus on safety.

"Many safety accidents have occurred in Seoul, and while many measures have been introduced since the Itaewon disaster, accidents continue to happen," Jung stated. He stressed that a mayor's commitment to safety fundamentally alters the public sector's approach and influences private contractors.

The budget for accident prevention is seven times that of post-accident recovery.

— Jung Jin-haengAdvocating for increased preventative spending.

Oh Se-hoon echoed the urgency, expressing that the Seosomun incident has weighed heavily on him. He highlighted his previous efforts, such as mandating CCTV installation at all Seoul construction sites, acknowledging that further improvements are still needed. "Seoul is larger than many European countries and is a microcosm of South Korea, concentrating all national functions," Oh said, emphasizing the need for a "prepared mayor" ready to address immediate problems.

Oh also pointed to the psychological impact of CCTV on construction sites, suggesting it may have prompted Hyundai Engineering to self-report a rebar omission at the Suseo Station GTX site. He urged voters to choose a candidate verified by citizens, not just by power, and promised to prevent a "real estate hell" and "tax bomb."

Many safety accidents have occurred in Seoul, and while many measures have been introduced since the Itaewon disaster, accidents continue to happen.

— Jung Jin-haengHighlighting ongoing safety concerns.

Both candidates are scheduled to participate in their first and only televised debate on Tuesday evening, alongside other candidates.

The Seosomun accident has not left my mind for a moment.

— Oh Se-hoonExpressing concern following the elevated road collapse.
DistantNews Editorial

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

More Stories

From Our Blog