Seoul Mayor Reelected, Faces Opposition-Dominated Council

Emphasizes communication with people for his next four years in office

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon slogged through his reelection in the see-saw mayoral race, which was too close to call until all the votes were counted, only to beat his opposition Democratic Party rival, ex-prime minister Han Myung-sook, by a razor thin margin of 0.6 percentage points.
Oh’s next four years in office at the helm of the Seoul Metropolitan Government are expected to be rough sailing like the local election, since he has to tackle a city council dominated by members of opposition parties unlike his previous four years as Seoul Mayor. Mindful of the changed political landscape, Mayor Oh stressed frequent exchanges of communication with councilors in a meeting with reporters.
Asked about the reason for the ruling Grand National Party’s crushing defeat in the June 2 local elections, Oh said, “I think they should have devoted themselves to reading people’s minds, in a particularly sincere fashion. They (ruling party officials) have to reflect on this point. Looking back, I have found myself failing to win people’s hearts since I thought that only executing good policies would make citizens satisfied, but a consensus with them should have been built in advance.”
Regarding the mounting calls for personnel changes between those in the age groups of 40s and 50s in the wake of local polling, he said, “Ages are just numbers, so what’s the difference between one aged 49 and the other aged 51? It’s only a generation classification for convenience’s sake, but what’s more important is people’s way of thinking. Individuals in their 70s could have brand-new ideas like those in their 40s and vice versa.”
About talk of possibly appointing a female vice mayor, he said he wants to deliver his message through a personnel change rather than a focus on gender. “In the past four years, there were many pro-woman policies that received rave reviews here and abroad, so I’m looking for a person capable of evolving pro-woman policies and being good at communicating.”
On facing a council controlled by members elected on opposition party tickets, Oh said, “Rough sailing is expected, but a crisis can translate into an opportunity. I’m going to have much time to exchange views with council members through a rise in meetings in terms of quality and quantity in order to deliver my views in person and listen to their views.”
About the priority policies of the Seoul Metropolitan Government seeking to reorganize operations focusing on welfare, economy and job creation, the mayor said, “Seoul is a comprehensive administrative metropolis equivalent to a state, and in this regard, the reality is that anything like creating jobs, welfare, education and design cannot be overlooked. If anything is on my priority list, I want a policy of making schools without violence, extra educational fees and homework so that public schooling can be normalized and nursing and welfare policies can be strengthened.” nw

Seoul Mayor acknowledges to his cheering supporters after winning his reelection from his mayoral race of the June 2 local polls.