Lee Myung-bak visits Seoul Forest, urges voters to elect 'hardworking' mayors ahead of local elections

Former President Lee Myung-bak visited Seoul Forest in Seongdong-gu on Monday, ahead of the June 3 local elections, urging residents to "elect mayors and district mayors who get things done."

Seoul Forest was developed in 2005 while Lee served as Seoul mayor and is considered one of the signature achievements of his tenure, alongside the Cheonggyecheon stream restoration, the creation of Seoul Plaza and an overhaul of the city's public transportation system.

Speaking at Seoul Forest on Monday morning, Lee recalled a business trip to New York in his youth. "When I visited Central Park, I thought how wonderful it would be if Seoul had a park like that," he said. "This enormous city had no proper park to speak of."

He said the project faced strong political opposition at the time but ultimately proved its worth. "There was so much political resistance when we were building Seoul Forest, but once it was done it became a wonderful park for the people of Seoul," he said with a laugh. "These days, you don't hear anyone complaining about it."

On the upcoming local elections, Lee said the priority should be choosing capable administrators rather than skilled politicians. "Rather than saying I'm here to campaign, I want to say we need to elect mayors and district mayors who work hard," he said. "If you put in people who talk well and play political games, the region won't develop."

He added that his own record as mayor showed what was possible even under difficult circumstances. "When I was Seoul mayor, I was an opposition mayor, but I achieved everything I set out to do because I focused on working hard despite a tough environment," he said. "I hope Seoul residents will elect mayors and district mayors who get things done."

Lee also mentioned that he had come with family and had been looking forward to the visit for months. "They're holding the Seoul International Garden Expo, and I had been waiting for the right day for three months — today was the day," he said. "I'm looking forward to taking a good look around."

Political observers interpreted the visit as a show of indirect support for People Power Party Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon. Seoul Forest sits in Seongdong-gu, the district where Democratic Party of Korea mayoral candidate Jeong Won-o previously served as district mayor, and the two candidates have clashed over who deserves credit for the success of the Seongsu-dong urban regeneration project.