Civic Group Evaluates Seoul Mayor Candidates' Promises as Lacking Specificity

In the lead-up to the local elections, a civic group has assessed the campaign promises of major party candidates for Seoul Mayor, finding them appropriate for citizens' livelihood issues but lacking in diversity and specificity regarding budget and funding.

The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) released its evaluation on May 28, based on responses from four candidates regarding their three main campaign promises.

CCEJ evaluated the candidates' promises based on several criteria, including whether the policies were clearly understandable to voters, whether they reflected a desirable future for the region, whether they addressed urgent local issues, and whether candidates demonstrated a commitment to the community.

Overall, CCEJ noted, "The candidates' promises lacked diversity. Aside from public care commitments, it was difficult to find meaningful promises for our society." They added that while the proposals from Jung Won-o and Oh Se-hoon were relevant, they lacked specificity and accountability in terms of budget, raising concerns about their feasibility.

Jung Won-o, the candidate from the Democratic Party, proposed a vision for a global G2 Seoul, a 30-minute commuting city, and a shift in disaster management from reactive to proactive investment.

CCEJ commented that while the proposal for transforming five urban centers and six metropolitan areas into growth opportunities for youth jobs was innovative, the budget for the development projects was limited to a master plan at the research level, making it unlikely to be realized during the term. They also noted that the 30-minute commuting city proposal lacked differentiation from Oh Se-hoon's plan and was vague in terms of budget and execution.

Oh Se-hoon, the candidate from the People Power Party, highlighted promises to restore housing safety nets for homeless families, invest 20.8 trillion won to connect transportation arteries in northern Seoul, and expand transportation welfare through a 'Seoul Climate Companion Pass.'

CCEJ criticized the proposals for serious flaws in specificity and feasibility within the term. They acknowledged the candidates' recognition of pressing issues faced by Seoul residents, such as the housing crisis, transportation disparities in northern Seoul, and rising transportation costs amid high fuel prices. However, they pointed out that the integration of the K-PASS system relied on agreements with the Lee Jae-myung administration, and concerns about wasteful spending on road undergrounding were raised. Furthermore, they noted that the housing budget proposal allocated 3.22 trillion won (83%) of the total 3.86 trillion won budget for the end of the term, effectively passing responsibility to the next mayor.

Kim Jeong-cheol, the candidate from the Reform Party, proposed promises including 'AI administration and automatic welfare' for a 'welcoming Seoul,' 'affordable Seoul' through regulatory innovation, and a 'smooth Seoul' by reducing commute times by 30 minutes.

CCEJ remarked that while the approach of utilizing public AI to address welfare gaps, delays in permits, and disputes in maintenance projects was innovative, it remained limited to internal administrative improvements within the Seoul City government. They expressed concerns about the lack of diversity in the promises and the potential for digital exclusion among the elderly and biases in AI algorithms, as well as fears of the city becoming a 'Big Brother' with monopolized information. Nonetheless, they praised the candidate's expertise and diligence in presenting specific proposals and expressed hope for policy competition with other candidates.

Kwon Young-guk, the candidate from the Justice Party, presented key promises including public guarantees for essential goods, making all citizens stakeholders in labor rights, and establishing a public care city in Seoul.

CCEJ noted that while defining housing, transportation, healthcare, food, labor, and care as public responsibilities demonstrated significant reform potential, the lack of concrete funding plans for the substantial budget of 6.34 trillion won raised concerns about the promises being mere slogans. They specifically highlighted that while Kwon's labor proposals were ambitious, they lacked feasibility regarding matters beyond the mayor's authority and acknowledged the public care promise as particularly meaningful in this election.

Bang Hyo-chang, head of the promise verification team at CCEJ, emphasized, "This election should not be a competition of political slogans among major parties but a practical policy race that transforms citizens' lives through diverse promises related to housing, transportation, welfare, care, jobs, and safety."