Park Young-sun's Possible Seoul Mayoral Candidacy Denied as "Not True Yet"

Minister Park Young-sun of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 23rd at the Government Seoul Office that 'New Hope Fund' will be provided to small business owners who experienced a decrease in sales due to the spread of COVID-19 and those who faced business difficulties due to strengthened social distancing measures.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] Park Young-sun, Minister of SMEs and Startups (61), addressed the possibility of her running for Seoul mayor, stating that it is "a report that is not true yet." However, by using the word "yet," she left room for possibility.

On the morning of the 27th, appearing on KBS Sunday Diagnosis Live, Minister Park was asked by the host about the possibility of running for Seoul mayor in next year's by-election, to which she replied, "I really do not have the time to think about that yet."

Minister Park said, "Since coming to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, I have many projects underway and many things to take care of," adding, "Even with the New Hope Fund disbursement issue, the staff worked very hard, which allowed the funds to be distributed so quickly. We are currently in the process of taking follow-up measures."

She continued, "After Chuseok, there are issues such as on-site inspections for those who are not part of the first round of New Hope Fund recipients, and also cooperation with local governments," indicating that she is currently unable to respond to political questions.

Minister Park reiterated that she is focusing on helping small business owners and SMEs overcome the crisis caused by the novel coronavirus infection and has not considered the possibility of running for Seoul mayor. However, the fact that she left the word "yet" suggests that her future actions related to this matter are drawing attention.