Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party's candidate for Seoul Mayor, criticized Oh Se-hoon, his opponent from the People Power Party, on June 2 for continuing negative campaigning amid allegations of misconduct, including claims of extravagant trips. Jung stated that Oh's tactics reflect a reliance on negativity as the election approaches.
During a joint press conference with candidates for 25 district mayors at the National Assembly, Jung remarked, "Rehashing previously answered questions to create new allegations is a typical negative campaign strategy."
He emphasized that voters would see through Oh's attempts to turn the unfavorable election landscape in his favor. "I have no need to attack Oh personally; I have stated that if I stop negative campaigning, we can focus on policy discussions," he added.
Jung specifically pointed out that while Oh advocates for a policy-focused debate during televised discussions, he has been accused of operating a team that spreads defamatory comments online. "He will not escape legal scrutiny for this," Jung warned.
Furthermore, Jung characterized Oh as incompetent, irresponsible, and complacent. "The citizens will not be deceived again. They are aware of his pattern of kneeling and apologizing during elections to regain support," he stated.
Jung also framed the upcoming election as a referendum on the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration, asserting that a change in government should lead to improvements in citizens' lives. He called for a united effort between the government and Seoul to ensure that policies benefiting the public reach every neighborhood.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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