Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has criticized the government, stating that the decline in President Lee Jae-myung’s approval ratings stems from public anxiety caused by real estate issues and the neutralization of the prosecution.
Mayor Oh held a press conference this morning (October 7) at Seoul City Hall to mark his 100th day in office since taking office for the 9th popular term, where he shared his stances on real estate issues, political pending issues, and his ongoing trial.
Regarding the drop in the current administration's state affairs approval rating, Mayor Oh pointed out that housing issues are a matter of immense public concern, and a government that fails to keep housing prices and lease rates (jeonse and monthly rent) low cannot receive a favorable evaluation.
[Oh Se-hoon / Mayor of Seoul: When housing costs rise, disposable income relatively decreases. Not only do jeonse and monthly rent prices increase, but jeonse units are nearly impossible to find. I believe that the relative decrease in living expenses resulting from this is the biggest factor.]
Regarding President Lee's remarks on "flattening housing prices," Mayor Oh analyzed that while prices in some parts of the Gangnam area have dropped, housing prices and jeonse rates in relatively affordable outer areas of Seoul are rising, making the term "upward leveling" more accurate.
He also criticized President Lee's evaluation via social media attributing the increase in housing permits in Seoul to the government's "speed-drive" performance as "an argument that defies logic."
He emphasized that out of the cumulative permits for approximately 40,000 units from January to August of this year, more than half—22,000 units—were from redevelopment projects, which is the result of the Seoul Metropolitan Government facilitating district designations and union establishments over the past five years.
Concerning the dismantling of the prosecution and the launch of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency and the Office of Investigation on October 2, he voiced concern, saying, "Watching the process and behavior of neutralizing prosecutorial authority and transferring all investigative powers to the police has plunged many citizens into anxiety."
He added that crimes occurring in daily life should be handled impartially through checks and balances among investigative agencies, but public anxiety over this is growing.
[Oh Se-hoon / Mayor of Seoul: (During the process of dismantling the prosecution) there were many sound proposals, but the helplessness and disappointment felt from seeing them completely ignored seems to have led to a total loss of trust in state affairs.]
Briefly addressing the appellate trial regarding allegations that Myung Tae-kyun paid for opinion polls on his behalf, Mayor Oh remarked, "A lot of new evidence that was not dealt with in the first trial has been submitted, and the truth will always come to light."
Regarding the joint hosting of the 2036 Summer Olympics with North Jeolla Province, he responded that there is no reason to refuse if a request is made, but noted that a concrete execution plan for co-hosting must come from the North Jeolla Province side.
Emphasizing that improving citizens' quality of life has been set as the most important goal for the 9th popular term of Seoul's administration, Mayor Oh stated that he will not waste a single day over the final four years of his term so that citizens can feel changes in their daily lives.
Reported by Yun Nara | Filmed by Joo Bum | Video Edited by Kim Heung-ki | Produced by SBS Digital News
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.