People Power Party Seoul mayoral primary — 2nd debate
Candidates press final offensive on transportation and housing
Oh Se-hoon defends 'controversial policies' to consolidate lead
Candidates press final offensive on transportation and housing
Oh Se-hoon defends 'controversial policies' to consolidate lead
The People Power Party held its second "vision" debate for Seoul mayoral candidates on the 10th. Park and Yoon continued intense attacks on Oh, a strong rival who has served four terms.
Park pressed Oh on Seoul’s traffic congestion, accusing him of attributing stalled subway projects — including the Myeonmok, Nangok and Wirye lines — to delays in preliminary feasibility studies. Park argued that those reviews hinge on projected fare revenue and ridership; improving those fundamentals could change the feasibility outlook.
Yoon launched a sharp critique of Oh’s leadership. She said using the "public contribution" system to force unpopular facilities into housing developments, and wielding permit authority as leverage, is no different from the coercive leadership style of former Seongdong District Mayor Jeong Won-o. Yoon added that at the previous debate Oh had suggested that, when increasing floor-area ratios, undesirable facilities should be included as well. She warned that permit authority is a responsibility citizens temporarily entrust to officials, and using it that way amounts to heavy-handed administration.
Oh confronted his critics directly, defending projects such as the Hangang buses. "The Hangang buses are currently profitable and are on track to return to the black within two to three years," he said. "As the AI era progresses and a four-day workweek becomes more common, international tourist arrivals could rise — perhaps to as many as 40 million — creating future tourism demand we should prepare for." He also defended the proposed memorial in Gwanghwamun, the Park of Gratitude, saying it was pursued in coordination with the national government and the National Assembly and contending that Democrats had dismissed it through a partisan frame.
Tensions flared at times when some candidates protested that Oh had stepped outside the rules of the moderated debate during his explanations.
Asked whether it was advantageous that the Democratic Party had selected former Seongdong District Mayor Jeong Won-o as its Seoul mayoral candidate the day before, all the candidates answered yes. Oh described Jeong as a mayor focused on resolving complaints who lacks a broader vision for leading Seoul. Park similarly criticized Jeong’s proposed policies as detached from citizens' everyday concerns.
