'Verification Essential for Main Contest Victory': Park Ju-min, Jeon Hyun-hee Launch Full-Scale Scrutiny of Jung Won-oh

With the main contest lineup for the Democratic Party's Seoul mayoral candidate selection finalized, preliminary candidates Park Ju-min and Jeon Hyun-hee are intensifying their offensive to break preliminary candidate Jung Won-oh's dominance. The Democratic Party's election management committee announced that candidates Park Ju-min, Jung Won-oh, and Jeon Hyun-hee passed the preliminary round and will compete in the main contest from April 7 to 9. Jung has maintained the lead in various polls, building momentum. However, Park and Jeon, trailing in support, have signaled intense scrutiny of Jung, aiming to use the main contest as a chance for a comeback. Especially as allegations of Deutsch Motors sponsorship and support related to Jung have emerged as a core issue, the friction among candidates is showing signs of escalating into negative attacks.

Candidate Park Ju-min likened the primary race to a mock exam for winning the main contest, emphasizing the necessity of mutual vetting. Park argued that it is essential to answer questions regarding policies and qualifications, and only by undergoing such verification can a competitive candidate capable of winning the main contest be selected. This logic suggests that the party must first confirm whether Jung can withstand the attacks from the opposing party he will face in the main election. Candidate Jeon Hyun-hee also pressured Jung by stressing that policy verification is a natural duty of a candidate. Jeon stated that since Seoul policies directly impact citizens' lives, it is a candidate's obligation to transparently explain their achievements and limitations, clearly asserting that legitimate vetting based on facts and laws should not be dismissed as negative campaigning and demanding Jung's active clarification.

In contrast, candidate Jung Won-oh has adopted a strategy of refraining from direct counterattacks, while defining the competitors' offensive as a process that a leading candidate must endure. Jung stated a principled stance of responding confidently to the vetting offensive that has continued since last December. Jung's campaign team refuted these attacks, labeling them as 'mud-slinging politics' or defamation, and pledged to engage in a dignified campaign focused on policy. Within the party, concerns have been raised that excessive mudslinging between candidates could erode their competitiveness in the general election. The Vice Chairman of the Central Election Management Committee urged candidates at the preliminary round results announcement to refrain from excessive negativity and focus on healthy policy competition. Jung's side's decision to moderate its response, while criticizing the Deutsch Motors-related offensive as overstepping boundaries, is analyzed as a move to consider forming a 'one team' after the final candidate is selected.

Preliminary candidates Park Ju-min, Jung Won-oh, and Jeon Hyun-hee, who passed the Democratic Party's Seoul mayoral preliminary round, are set to enter the main contest on April 7-9, with the 'sharp scrutiny' targeting poll leader Jung and Jung's side defining it as a 'negative offensive' officially commencing. The People Power Party expressed confidence, evaluating the Democratic Party candidates' primary process as lacking policy differentiation. People Power Party lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin characterized all three Democratic Party candidates—Park Ju-min, Jung Won-oh, and Jeon Hyun-hee—as figures symbolizing former Mayor Park Won-soon's administration, arguing that Seoul citizens will not want to revert to the past. Bae added that the People Power Party's talent pool overwhelmingly surpasses the Democratic Party's in terms of individuals and policies.

The Democratic Party's Seoul mayoral primary is expected to see intense exchanges continue until early April, with Jung's consolidation strategy and Park and Jeon's pursuit strategy intertwined. The competing candidates are not lowering the intensity of their offensive, pointing out that if Jung maintains a defensive posture throughout the internal vetting process, he will inevitably have to respond defensively to fierce attacks from the opposing party in the main election. Whether Jung can maintain his current momentum and secure the final candidacy is considered the biggest challenge of this primary.