Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party’s candidate for Seoul mayor, said April 21 that the current rights of owner-occupiers who own a single home must be protected amid controversy over scrapping the long-term holding special deduction for capital gains tax.
Jung also stepped up his criticism of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, saying Oh was “raising issues that haven’t even been discussed yet” and “stoking conflict.”
Jung made the remarks after visiting the gravesite of the late President Roh Moo-hyun in Bongha Village, Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, along with Choo Mi-ae, the Democratic Party’s candidate for Gyeonggi governor, and Park Chan-dae, the party’s candidate for Incheon mayor.
“If it’s not for speculative purposes, the rights of all one-home households should still be protected,” Jung said.
He added that a Seoul mayor’s job is not to fuel conflict and said it was time to “join forces for people’s livelihoods and the interests of citizens.”
Citing what he called a crisis stemming from a war in the Middle East, Jung said the government and the Seoul city government should work together, and that repeatedly raising matters not yet under discussion only makes residents anxious.
Earlier April 21, Oh appeared on KBS radio and, referring to President Lee Jae-myung’s comments about scrapping the deduction, said that “even if it’s the president speaking,” it is a basic duty of a Seoul mayoral candidate to state an opinion. Oh said Jung had remained silent and added that a candidate “shouldn’t just stay quiet” at such times.
The ruling party also sought to draw a line on the issue. Democratic Party member Han Jeong-ae said at a party floor leadership meeting that the government and ruling party have never reviewed abolishing the long-term holding deduction for one-homeowners.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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