Jung Won-oh Appears With Chung Cheong-rae and Yoo Si-min at Seongsu Store Opening

From left, Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate Jung Won-oh, Azio Chairman Yoo Seok-young, Democratic Party leader Chung Cheong-rae and writer Yoo Si-min pose for a photo at the opening of Azio’s Seongsu store in Seoul’s Seongdong District on April 24. [Joint coverage]

Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate Jung Won-oh on April 24 appeared alongside prominent figures associated with the Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in camps, underscoring his push for victory.

Jung attended the opening event for the Seongsu branch of handmade shoe company Azio at Under Stand Avenue in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong District, with Democratic Party leader Chung Cheong-rae and writer Yoo Si-min. Tak Hyun-min, described as a protocol secretary under the Moon Jae-in administration, was also present.

Azio, a social cooperative, is a handmade shoe brand run by people with visual impairments and produced by people with hearing impairments. It gained attention as “the president’s shoes” after Moon wore them to the May 18 Democratic Uprising commemoration ceremony in 2016. President Lee Jae-myung also supported the company when he was mayor of Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province.

The event marked the first time Chung and Yoo appeared together since reconciling after two decades of political conflict. Yoo, an Azio cooperative member and promotional model, and Chung, who joined after finishing a party schedule in Incheon, exchanged deep bows in greeting.

Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate Jung Won-oh, right, speaks with writer Yoo Si-min, who took part as a one-day part-time worker, at the opening of Azio’s Seongsu store in Seoul’s Seongdong District on April 24. [Joint coverage]

Chung also struck an upbeat tone with Jung, saying, “So many people had a hard time under Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, and many people say we have to win.” Yoo joked about Jung’s campaign operation, telling him the “Jung Won-oh campaign is mammoth,” adding that “if you’re not a current or former lawmaker, you can’t even hand out a business card,” and quipping, “Is it OK for local government to be like this?”

Jung, Chung, Yoo and Azio Chairman Yoo Seok-young then stood in front of shoes on display and chanted, “Azio, fighting.” Yoo drew laughter by raising his voice to say, “Not ‘Jung Won-oh, fighting’ — ‘Azio, fighting.’”

After the Azio event, Jung moved to Geumnam Market in Geumho-dong to again ask Seongdong residents for support. Jung, who is from Yeosu in South Jeolla Province, served three terms as Seongdong district mayor.

* This article has been translated by AI.

Hyeon Mi Cho