Oh Se-hoon: "Democratic Party Has Lost Its Right to Call Itself a Democratization Force"
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon criticized President Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party of Korea on the 31st, arguing that "the Democratic Party has lost its right to call itself a democratization force." Appearing on TV Chosun's 'Strong Opponents' that day, Oh, a member of the People Power Party, pointed out that "the Lee Jae-myung administration is trying to take control not only of the executive branch but even the judiciary." His remarks were aimed at the National Assembly probe into Chief Justice Cho Hee-de, the head of the Supreme Court.
Oh argued that the Democratic Party practices 'rule by law' rather than 'rule of law.' He criticized, "It has become ingrained for the party to use its majority of seats to make sloppy laws and employ legislation that tramples on the spirit of the Constitution as an instrument of governance." He added, "The entire public is watching scenes where talk of impeaching the Chief Justice is floating around." Oh also stated, "The People Power Party is powerless even as the judiciary is mocked and insulted just because the Democrats won an election," stressing that the party must win future elections.
Oh also defended the Hangang (Han River) Bus project amid controversy. "The Hangang Bus is a hybrid mode of transport combining the characteristics of public transit and a cruise ship," he said, countering, "Is this really a basis for criticism?" He explained that last year's deficit was an expected outcome given the project's early stage, and that ridership this year has more than doubled compared to the previous year. He noted that actual revenue is generated from ancillary businesses such as the dockside food and beverage (F&B) operations and advertising, saying "we expect to turn a profit by the end of next year." Dismissing bribery allegations, he countered, "There was an introduction fee (brokerage commission) for the shipbuilder, and people are confusing this with a kickback," adding, "There is no evidence."
Oh also distanced himself from the government on housing policy. Criticizing the government's policy centered on actual residency, he pointed out that lending regulations are working in favor of the cash-rich. "The only thing the Seoul city government can do is increase supply," he said. "For apartments, we need to increase volume through reconstruction and redevelopment, and for non-apartment housing such as villas, we need to offer generous floor-area-ratio incentives to guarantee profits, or construction companies won't step in."
Oh also continued his criticism of former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon's housing policies. "During Park's 10 years in office, 389 reconstruction and redevelopment sites were dismantled," he said. "Divided over 20 years, the 430,000 homes that lost their chance to be supplied amount to 20,000 units of lost annual construction capacity." His remarks suggest that the housing policy debate between the ruling and opposition parties will continue.
