Seoul Mayoral Race: Ruling and Opposition Parties Wage All-Out Campaign

As the June 3 local elections draw to a close, the Seoul mayoral election has emerged as the most critical battleground, with leaders from both the ruling and opposition parties pouring all their efforts into capturing votes in the capital.

The Democratic Party has been rallying support by emphasizing its role as a 'one team' with the central government, while the People Power Party has been targeting voters with a platform centered on 'real estate judgment.'

Jang Dong-hyuk, the People Power Party's chief election campaign committee chairman, held a press conference at the party's central headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on May 26, calling for support by referencing the 'trinity of hell' (high inflation, high interest rates, high exchange rates). He argued that Seoul apartment prices have risen more under the Moon Jae-in administration and that soaring rental prices make it difficult to sell or buy homes. Chairman Jang expressed concern over the possibility of increased property taxes and the abolition of long-term holding special deductions after the local elections.

Democratic Party's chief election campaign committee chairman Jeong Cheong-rae, campaigning with Seoul mayoral candidate Jeong Wonsik on the 26th, asserted that the Democratic Party must win the Seoul mayorship to support the governance of the Lee Jae-myung administration. Jeong also criticized incumbent Mayor Oh Se-hoon, calling for his judgment over issues such as the 'Han River Bus' project and the 'missing rebar' scandal.

The Seoul mayoral race is currently neck-and-neck. According to opinion polls conducted on May 19-20, Democratic Party candidate Jeong received 41.7% support, while People Power Party candidate Oh garnered 41.6%, a mere 0.1 percentage point difference. The aforementioned polls were conducted using an ARS method with wireless virtual numbers provided by the three major mobile carriers, achieving a response rate of 5.5%. The margin of error was ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.