Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has launched a direct counterattack against the ruling party's criticism over housing supply issues, stating that their audacity has crossed the line.

Posting a statement titled "There Is a Limit to Audacity" on his social media account, Mayor Oh wrote, "I doubted my ears when I heard the remarks made by Democratic Party Floor Leader Han Byung-do today (August 7). Do you really think the public does not know who is responsible for the current housing supply crisis?"

Earlier today, Han Byung-do, acting party leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party, criticized the People Power Party during a floor strategy meeting, telling them to "stop just shouting about housing supply and cooperate in passing the housing supply bills promoted by the government and the Democratic Party."

Floor Leader Han claimed that related bills, including the Housing Act, the Act on the Improvement of Urban Areas and Residential Environments, and the Special Act on Public Housing, have passed the Land and Judiciary Committees but are facing delayed plenary votes due to opposition from the People Power Party. He argued, "If you want to criticize the government's real estate policy, you must do so only after fulfilling your own responsibilities."

In response, Mayor Oh pointed out that the massive suspension of urban redevelopment projects during past administrations led by the Democratic Party is the root cause of the current supply shortage.

Mayor Oh asked, "Who regarded redevelopment and reconstruction as 'speculation' and brought urban maintenance projects to a halt? It was unmistakably former Mayor Park Won-soon who collapsed Seoul's supply foundation as a result."

He added, "During the 10 years of the Democratic Party's city administration, 389 redevelopment and reconstruction projects were cancelled. As a result, Seoul lost housing supply opportunities amounting to 430,000 units."

He further criticized them sharply, saying, "As if choking off the seeds of supply wasn't enough, they even sprayed herbicide, resulting in the recent supply cliff. Trying to shift the blame now is audacity that goes beyond acceptable limits."

He emphasized, "Over the past five years, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has revived stalled maintenance projects and normalized the collapsed supply system. Residents on the ground know this better than anyone else."

He also refuted the government and ruling party's claims that the demolition of existing homes during redevelopment and reconstruction can lead to a short-term decrease in housing stock.

Presenting the results of an analysis conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on housing volumes across 59 completed maintenance project sites over the past three years, Mayor Oh stated, "Redevelopment projects resulted in a net increase of 7,000 units, or 27.4 percent, while reconstruction projects led to a net increase of 13,000 units, or 44.2 percent."

He pointed out, "Even now, the Democratic Party continues to block Seoul's maintenance projects, going so far as to deny facts revealed by data."