Tensions escalated on May 18 during a full meeting of the National Assembly's Administrative Safety Committee, as both the ruling and opposition parties engaged in accusations against candidates for Seoul mayor. The Democratic Party and the People Power Party each alleged that their respective candidates, Oh Se-hoon and Jung Won-oh, violated election laws. The conflict intensified following allegations of Jung's misconduct and issues related to the rebar omission in the GTX-A project, as well as Oh's attendance at the audit garden completion ceremony.
Democratic Party members of the committee reported Oh and acting mayor Kim Sung-bo to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency for allegedly violating Article 86, Section 2 of the Public Official Election Act, which prohibits actions that influence elections. This accusation stemmed from Oh's attendance at the completion ceremony held on May 12 at Gwanghwamun Square.
In response, People Power Party members stated they would file a complaint against Jung for spreading false information regarding the GTX-A rebar omission. They claimed that Jung and his campaign team were inciting fear with sensational phrases like "raw GTX" and "Seoul's safety negligence". They emphasized that the Seoul city government had reported anomalies to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, countering Jung's assertion that the report was made five and a half months after the issues arose. They expressed deep regret over the use of public safety concerns in the election.
Earlier in the meeting, lawmakers clashed over allegations against Jung and the controversies surrounding the GTX-A project and the audit garden. A Seoul city official stated that relevant institutions had been informed, which sparked further debate.
People Power Party lawmaker Park Soo-min questioned, "Is it necessary for all matters to be reported directly to the mayor when they have already been communicated to the relevant institutions?"
Conversely, Democratic Party members held a separate press conference, asserting that the People Power Party claimed the city had already reported the issues through official documents. They criticized the evidence presented as merely a few pages from a 400-500 page monthly construction management report, arguing that while the city was aware of the problems, it failed to adequately share this information for prompt action by relevant agencies.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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