Jung Won-o, the Democratic Party's candidate for Seoul mayor, firmly 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.
Jung resumed his campaign activities, which had been paused for two days due to the aftermath of the Seosomun overpass collapse, during a press conference held at his election office in Sogong-dong, Seoul.
Focusing on safety, Jung announced his safety policies, stating, "We must correct the safety complacency that remains in the public sector and on-site, prioritizing the lives and safety of citizens."
He emphasized that politicizing an incident that resulted in casualties is unacceptable, adding, "I have instructed my campaign team not to use this for electoral gain." The People Power Party has criticized Jung's supporters for allegedly discussing how to leverage the incident in a KakaoTalk group chat shortly after the accident, referring to it as a "positive development" and suggesting it could be used for aggressive campaigning.
Regarding the upcoming TV debate scheduled for that evening, Jung stated, "There will be no discussion that politicizes the Seosomun incident." However, he expressed hope for discussions on improving life safety in Seoul, noting that many safety incidents occurred during Oh's administration.
Jung also criticized Oh's campaign for its negative tactics, asserting, "From the beginning of the election, I proposed a policy-focused campaign without negative attacks, 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 team. He urged, "Stop the negative campaigning now."
On the narrowing gap in polling numbers, which has reached a tie from a double-digit lead, Jung remarked, "I expected a close race from the start, and I have been preparing for the consolidation of supporters as we approach the final stretch."
Jung affirmed, "Regardless of the polls, I will remain truthful and do my best at every moment, aiming for victory in the end."
A recent poll conducted by Embrain Public on May 26-27 among 805 Seoul voters showed both Jung and Oh with equal support at 39%. The survey 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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