[Interview] Seoul Assembly member Oh Geum-ran

"Residents want a politician who will listen to the difficulties they face in their daily lives and turn those into real policy."

Oh Geum-ran, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker representing Nowon 2 who was reelected to the 12th Seoul Metropolitan Council, laid out her core legislative priorities in a recent interview: realizing grassroots politics, expanding welfare policy for the socially vulnerable and resolving pressing local issues in Gongreung-dong.

Oh entered politics drawing on her experience raising a child with a developmental disability and participating in advocacy movements for parents of people with disabilities. She said living as a family member of a person with a disability exposed her firsthand to social prejudice and institutional limitations, and that experience made her recognize the importance of policies that genuinely change people's lives.

Having served as a proportional-representation Nowon-gu council member before entering the Seoul Metropolitan Council through a by-election in 2024, she identified communication with residents as her most important political asset. She said the election process confirmed that voters scrutinize a candidate's track record, capabilities and contributions to the community more closely than party affiliation.

Oh, who served as vice chairwoman of the Health and Welfare Committee during the latter half of the 11th Seoul Metropolitan Council, plans to keep her focus on policies for the socially vulnerable — including people with disabilities, the elderly and children. She said the health and welfare sector is so closely tied to residents' daily lives that budgets and projects in that area demand especially careful scrutiny.

Oh said welfare should be understood not as a policy reserved for a narrow group of vulnerable people but as a universal concept supporting the lives of all citizens. She said building a system that links programs for different groups — people with disabilities, the elderly, children — in an integrated way, reduces duplication and ensures services reach those who need them is essential.

Her constituency of Gongreung 1 and 2 dong is a mixed area where apartment complexes, single-family homes, commercial districts and a university neighborhood coexist, bringing together young people, small-business owners, children and senior citizens. She said balanced development that reflects those local characteristics is essential.

Among the key local issues she highlighted were environmental improvements along the Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail, transit-oriented development, expanded parking and additional everyday amenities. Oh said the past two years were a period for identifying local issues and laying the groundwork for projects, and that the time has now come to deliver results residents can actually feel.

She plans to push actively on projects closely tied to residents' daily lives — particularly transit-oriented development in Gongreung-dong, making use of the Korea Electric Power Corp. site and easing the parking shortage.

Improving the educational environment and expanding facilities for young people are also among her priorities. She said parents in the area have a strong interest in high school placement and commuting conditions, and that she will continue working with relevant agencies to expand cultural, sports and study spaces for youth and create safer school commutes.

Keeping communication with residents as a guiding principle of her legislative work, she runs a walk-in constituent service office every Sunday to hear concerns directly. She said she focuses on identifying everyday inconveniences and gaps in policy coverage that administrative data alone cannot reveal, then connecting those findings to policy and budget decisions.

On her relationship with the Seoul Metropolitan Government's executive branch, she stressed the importance of balancing oversight with cooperation. Her position is to raise clear objections to flawed policies and inefficient projects, while actively cooperating — regardless of party — on policies that benefit residents.

"Welfare is not a concern for any particular group — it is connected to the lives of all citizens," Oh said. "I will stay true to my original commitment to the socially vulnerable and continue legislative work that turns residents' voices into policy."

"I will be a council member who finds answers in the field — working not only for the development of Gongreung-dong and Nowon-gu, but for a better quality of life for all Seoul residents," she added.