"Naegok-dong Again, Naegok-dong Again"... Seoul Mayoral Election Turns into 'Naegok-dong' Saga

Park Young-sun "Saw Oh Se-hoon's facial expression and was sure he left"
Oh Se-hoon "It was right to say Naegok-dong was not in my consciousness"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Naju Seok, Gu Chae-eun, Geum Bo-ryeong] Park Young-sun, the Democratic Party candidate, and Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate, who are running in the April 7 Seoul mayoral by-election, continued their ‘barrage’ of attacks in two TV debates and carried on with similar negative political disputes on the 31st. Park repeatedly raised suspicions about Oh’s Naegok-dong land, while Oh actively defended himself and counterattacked.

On the 31st, Park said on the radio, “When I asked (during yesterday’s TV debate) whether I had been to the Naegok-dong land survey site or not, I looked at Oh’s facial expression and was convinced, ‘This person has been there.’” She also mentioned the possibility of double contracts during the sale of cooperative land, claiming, “This is something that can only be known through investigation.” Additionally, Park said, “What I felt during the TV debate was that if this person becomes mayor, there will be tremendous chaos,” adding, “I got the impression that he is very autocratic and that communication would be difficult.”

On the other hand, Oh attended the Kwanhoon Debate held at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on the same day and spent 45 minutes explaining the ‘Naegok-dong land suspicion.’ In response to reporters’ continuous questions, Oh actively rebutted by even taking out prepared charts. He devoted about 10 minutes explaining the part where his in-laws’ Naegok-dong land was designated as ‘public rental housing’ under the Roh Moo-hyun administration and then became ‘Bogeumjari housing’ during the Lee Myung-bak administration. Regarding the controversy over his statement that he “did not know of its existence,” he said, “I reflect on it, but more precisely, the expression ‘it was not in my consciousness’ is more accurate,” and added, “During elections, there are many sudden questions, and it would have been better to respond that way from the start,” adopting a strategy of ‘it’s better to admit what should be admitted.’

He also provided additional explanation about his earlier remark that “one must be humble before memory” while explaining that he did not visit the Naegok-dong survey site. Oh said, “My elder brother-in-law definitely went, but I don’t remember if my younger brother-in-law went, and the younger brother-in-law himself remembers going,” adding, “Since it was a memory from over ten years ago, I said, ‘Memory cannot be trusted,’” further clarifying his statement.