Tensions between the ruling and opposition contenders for Incheon mayor ahead of the June 3 local elections have intensified as both prepare for official campaign launches. Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok of the People Power Party and Democratic Party candidate Rep. Park Chan-dae have taken to the campaign trail to court voters. After sparring over who deserves credit for major local projects, they have now directly clashed over who bears responsibility for delays to the KTX service originating in Incheon.
On the 21st, Mayor Yoo inspected the expansion work at Songdo Station, the departure point for the Incheon KTX. The project will create a new 3.19 km section linking the Suin Line and the Gyeongbu Line. Construction is about 71% complete. The original opening target of 2021 has been pushed back several times and is now scheduled for this December.
▶Related: Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok inspects transportation and industry sites in Yeonsu-gu's old downtown
The exchange over responsibility for the KTX delay began the morning Mayor Yoo visited Songdo Station, when Rep. Park went on the offense. In a social media post titled \"Let's be honest about the Incheon KTX delay,\" Park targeted Yoo, saying, \"When problems arose, you said the project would proceed as planned, then later shifted the blame. If it's delayed, you should say so plainly.\"
Mayor Yoo rebutted the criticism as a reckless political attack. He noted that the Incheon KTX was his top pledge when he ran for mayor in 2014, calling the accusations \"an unreasonable political offensive.\" He accused the Democratic Party of trying to score points without understanding the circumstances and said, \"The proper course is to stand before Incheon citizens and offer a sincere apology.\"
Both candidates, now confirmed as their parties' nominees, have accelerated field schedules to win votes. Their efforts to claim credit for local achievements have overlapped at times, producing a dispute over who originated key initiatives.
At the completion ceremony yesterday for the Lu-Won complex building in Gajang-dong, Seo-gu, Mayor Yoo said, \"The Lu-Won City project had stalled, but more than a decade ago during my sixth term as mayor I opened a path to resolve it. That set the northwest region on a new course for balanced development.\" He added that the opening of the Cheongna Sky Bridge, the Hana Financial Town headquarters, and the start of construction on Cheongna Asan Hospital represent Seo-gu's long-held ambitions coming to fruition.
Rep. Park visited the Hana Financial Town construction site in Cheongna International City on the 14th. \"Attracting major corporations has been an Incheon priority beyond party lines,\" he said. \"But at every decisive moment, it was the relentless efforts of the Democratic city administration that changed the course. The trust the Democratic government has maintained across administrations is altering Incheon's trajectory.\"
The contest over the Incheon mayoralty is expected to intensify once both candidates formally declare. Park, who secured the Democratic nomination unopposed, plans a campaign kickoff on the 22nd at Incheon Aetdeul plaza in front of City Hall. A source close to Mayor Yoo's camp said Yoo could register as a preliminary candidate and officially launch his campaign as early as the end of this month.
/Reporters Lee Sun-min, Park Ye-jin smlee@incheonilbo.com
