Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party's candidate for Seoul Mayor, stated on the 28th that the political conflict surrounding the Seosomun incident should not be politicized. He called on his rival, Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party, to "stop the negative campaigning now."
During a press conference at his campaign office in Sogong-dong, Jung announced the resumption of his campaign activities, which had been paused for two days due to the aftermath of the Seosomun overpass collapse.
Focusing on safety, Jung outlined his safety policies, asserting, "We must correct the safety complacency that remains in the public sector and prioritize the lives and safety of citizens."
He emphasized that politicizing an incident that resulted in casualties is unacceptable, stating, "I have instructed my team not to use this for electoral gain." The People Power Party has criticized Jung's supporters for allegedly discussing the incident as a potential advantage in a KakaoTalk group chat shortly after it occurred.
Regarding the upcoming TV debate scheduled for that evening, Jung remarked, "There will be no discussions that politicize the Seosomun incident in the debate." However, he expressed hope for discussions on improving life safety in Seoul, pointing out that many safety incidents occurred during Oh's tenure as mayor.
Jung also criticized Oh's campaign for its negative tactics, claiming, "From the beginning of the campaign, I proposed a policy-focused election without negativity, but it has been nothing but slander against me."
He rejected Oh's repeated requests for a one-on-one debate, stating that the responsibility for the negative campaigning lies with Oh's side. He urged, "Stop the negative campaigning now."
In response to the narrowing of the polling gap from double digits to a tie, Jung said, "I expected a close race from the start, and we have prepared for a rallying of supporters as we approach the end."
Jung affirmed, "Regardless of the polls, I will remain truthful and do my best at every moment, ensuring that I conduct a campaign that leads to victory in the end."
A recent poll conducted by Embrain Public for the Culture Daily from May 25 to 27 showed that both Jung and Oh have equal support at 39%. The survey, which involved 805 Seoul voters, was conducted via mobile phone interviews with a response rate of 14.0% and a margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For more details, please refer to the Central Election Survey Deliberation Commission's website.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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