Kim Min-seok says Democratic Party open to working with Seoul Mayor Oh on city affairs

Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok said Tuesday he is willing to cooperate with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to improve the lives of Seoul residents, speaking at a Seoul budget policy conference held at the National Assembly.

"The Democratic Party's position is not to unconditionally oppose or obstruct Mayor Oh's administration, but to take a mature stance that helps citizens where it is needed," Kim said at the meeting.

He said Seoul city affairs should be viewed "not through the lens of electoral wins and losses, but through the lens of responsibility for citizens' lives," adding that he had repeatedly called on the party to pursue "critical cooperation."

Kim also addressed the Gwanghwamun Square structure — known as "Light of Gratitude" — which drew controversy during the Seoul mayoral election. "Even if there are changes in the city administration going forward, the structure cannot simply be torn down again," he said. "The mature position for our party is to think about how to make good use of it."

Kim said he toured Yongsan Children's Park during the recent holiday and said the visit left him convinced that any proposal to build housing on part of the site warranted extreme caution. The government had previously indicated it was open to supplying housing on part of the main Yongsan Park site, but Oh had opposed the idea, saying he would not yield "even one centimeter."

"It is a great burden for us that the mayor finds himself in a political environment where it is difficult to focus on city administration, and I believe it is causing inconvenience to citizens," Kim said. "This is especially true when city governance is unstable." The remarks were a reference to Oh's situation after he was found guilty in a first-instance ruling on charges of violating the Political Funds Act.

Kim Young-bae, a Democratic Party lawmaker who chairs the party's Seoul chapter, said at the same meeting that he had compiled 12 budget and policy recommendations to present to party leadership, noting that about five of Oh's own requests were included among them.

"Mayor Oh's requests include support for labor inspectors, repairs to sewer lines to prevent ground subsidence, support for improving urban rail facilities such as aging escalators, and strengthened support for integrated care services," Kim Young-bae said. "We received a letter from Mayor Oh and reflected his requests in our recommendations."