Seoul's 'Brooklyn' Ex-Mayor Aims for Capital's Top Job

Seoul's eastern district of Seongsu, once an industrial backwater, is now the city's trendiest neighborhood, buzzing with stylish cafes, art spaces, and designer boutiques. The politician widely credited with this transformation, former Seongdong district mayor Chong Won-o, is now setting his sights on leading the entire South Korean capital.

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The whole place feels so energetic. You can feel that trends really take off here.

Chong, the official candidate for the ruling Democratic Party (DP), believes his "bottom-up administrative approach and re-urbanisation model" are key to Seongsu's success. He aims to replicate this magic across Seoul, a metropolis of 9 million people with a staggering US$35 billion budget. However, incumbent Mayor Oh Se-hoon contests this narrative, attributing Seongsu's revitalization to "decades-old citywide initiatives" rather than Chong's specific policies.

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The test is whether the bottom-up administrative approach and re-urbanisation model Mr Chong credits with changing the district can be transposed to a capital of 9 million people.

This election is more than just a local contest; it's a test of Chong's urban development philosophy and a potential stepping stone to national power. The DP's current popularity, bolstered by President Lee Jae Myung's reversal of some of ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol's policies, including the symbolic return of the presidential office to the Blue House, gives Chong a significant advantage. The opposition's disarray following Yoon's impeachment further strengthens the DP's position, potentially paving the way for a new era of city governance under Chong's leadership.

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helped drive Seongsu’s success, but you can’t simply recreate that in other areas with the exact same approach