Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was acquitted in an appeal ruling on October 23, complicating the Democratic Party's strategy to regain public support on real estate policies. The party is expected to increase pressure on Mayor Oh regarding Seoul's real estate supply measures, but may also consider a cautious approach due to potential backlash.
According to political sources, Mayor Oh received a not guilty verdict in the appeal concerning allegations of funding a public opinion survey.
Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok and others had anticipated a guilty verdict, planning to confront Mayor Oh's real estate supply policies based on the trial's outcome. However, with the acquittal, the party's leadership is likely to emphasize differences in real estate policies to sway public opinion.
The Democratic Party plans to highlight the rising real estate prices in Seoul, the depletion of rental properties, and housing supply performance as points of contention against Mayor Oh. They argue that the re-designation of land transaction permit zones in the Gangnam area last year was a misstep by the mayor, while Oh contends that the primary cause of rising prices is an imbalance in housing supply.
On the issue of rental shortages, the Democratic Party advocates for a significant increase in public rental housing, while Mayor Oh argues that overall real estate supply must increase through redevelopment and reconstruction.
Regarding housing supply, the Democratic Party claims that the number of permits and completions has declined since Mayor Oh took office, attributing the overall shortage and rising prices to his administration. In response, Oh argues that the current supply shortage stems from the dismantling of approximately 389 redevelopment zones during the tenure of former Mayor Park Won-soon, suggesting that the previous policies have led to a delayed housing supply issue.
However, the Democratic Party is aware that aggressive attacks on real estate policies, closely tied to public approval ratings, could backfire. They may adopt a cautious stance until a solid real estate policy is formulated.
The outcome of Mayor Oh's appeal has also disrupted Kim Min-seok's initial plans for a 'victory in the Seoul mayoral by-election,' prompting a reassessment of his leadership. On the morning of the ruling, Kim stated, "I have not found any indications that the guilty verdict would change," and pledged to conduct internal reviews to secure victory in the upcoming by-election.
With the acquittal, Kim Min-seok now faces the necessity of reevaluating strategies for the by-election, putting the Democratic leadership's response capabilities to the test. Senior spokesperson Park Sung-jun remarked after the ruling, "The outcome of Mayor Oh's verdict will likely alter the dynamics of the upcoming (Seoul mayoral by-election). We had prepared responses for a guilty verdict, but now that he has been acquitted, we are discussing follow-up measures."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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