Jung Won-oh says Oh Se-hoon 'no different' from Park Geun-hye, Lee Myung-bak

Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party of Korea's candidate for Seoul mayor, labeled former presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak "forces of the past" on Sunday and said People Power Party candidate Oh Se-hoon was no different.

Jung held a press conference at Seoul Station titled "An Appeal to Seoul Citizens," saying the election would determine "whether Seoul is handed back to forces that denied the values of the Republic of Korea, or whether Seoul becomes the place where Korea's leap forward is completed."

"As the election turns against them, the People Power Party is summoning the past again," he said. "Former President Lee Myung-bak, former President Park Geun-hye — and even the shadow of former President Yoon Suk Yeol — forces that have already faced the public's judgment are stepping back to the fore." He said the public remembered their record clearly: "They put the economy first, but people's livelihoods only grew harder. They invoked national security, but security and peace were shaken." He added that they had spoken of the rule of law while threatening the constitutional order and democracy, and that the country had been forced to endure a state affairs scandal, impeachment, martial law and an insurrection.

Jung said everyone knew these were the forces that had deepened the "Korea discount," arguing that the country's standing had wavered, markets had lost confidence and national competitiveness had weakened. By contrast, he said, the Lee Jae Myung government was overcoming that past and building a "Korea premium" by restoring the country's values and laying the groundwork for a leap in livelihoods and the economy. "We cannot hand local government — Seoul, the face of the Republic of Korea — back to the forces of the past," he added.

Jung said Oh, who had brought those figures back into the campaign, was no different. "Over the past 10 years, housing worries have grown, commutes are still inconvenient, household finances are stretched and Seoul has become less safe," he said. He also cited the missing rebar discovered at the GTX Samsung Station construction site and a collapse at a demolition site on Seosomun Overpass, saying no one at the Seoul Metropolitan Government had shown accountability for either incident. "Protecting the lives and safety of citizens is the first duty of the mayor," he said.

Turning to Oh's pledge to "convey the weight of public sentiment" at Cabinet meetings, Jung said Oh had been absent from 54 of the 56 Cabinet meetings held since the Lee Jae Myung government took office. "He voluntarily gave up every chance to speak up for the lives of Seoul citizens, and now he wants to use Cabinet meetings as a stage for political battles?" he said. He added that what Cabinet meetings reveal is not the volume of one's voice but one's competence. "You need the ability to understand the lives of Seoul citizens and work with the government to deliver results. The candidate who can truly represent citizens' voices in the Cabinet is Jung Won-oh," he said.