As the nationwide local elections approach on May 31, the race for Seoul mayor is heating up. Negative campaigning surrounding alleged mistakes and controversies has intensified, increasing tension among candidates.
Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party's candidate, targeted Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate, over a construction issue involving missing rebar in the GTX-A line at Samseong Station, which occurred during Oh's tenure as mayor.
During a visit to the construction site, Jung criticized the situation as a reflection of the city’s irresponsible safety oversight. He questioned when Oh first learned of the construction deficiencies and what actions he took, raising suspicions of a cover-up due to the delay in reporting the issue to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Jung's campaign labeled the incident as a "reporting omission of the GTX construction failure" and asserted that the city bears responsibility for the problems arising from the construction. Lee In-young, the head of Jung's campaign committee, held a press conference at the National Assembly, demanding that Oh explain whether he concealed the issue during his time as mayor and warned that legal accountability may be pursued if necessary.
In response, Oh denied the allegations of covering up the construction failures and escalated his counterattacks by announcing a pledge to eradicate alcohol-related violence.
After unveiling his housing promises for young people at his campaign office, Oh stated, "Upon investigation, it turns out that Hyundai Engineering & Construction acknowledged the mistake and reported it themselves; I only learned about it yesterday." He dismissed the cover-up allegations, suggesting that Jung's campaign appears to be on the defensive.
Later in the day, Oh announced the "Zero Alcohol Violence Project," which aims to implement a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol-related misconduct among city officials, targeting a past incident involving Jung from 1995 when he was an aide to the mayor of Yangcheon District.
The People Power Party also joined the fray, filing a counter-complaint against Democratic Party lawmakers for alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act. Earlier, Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Young-kyo and others accused Jung of assaulting a female employee who refused to stay overnight.
Joo Jin-woo, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, announced on his Facebook that Seo's initial complaint reignited the controversy over Jung's alleged coercion, emphasizing the need to thoroughly investigate the claims.
The ruling party has vowed not to back down. Lee In-young condemned the "shameless black propaganda" against Jung and stated that three complaints have already been filed, assuring that there will be no cover-up after the elections.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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