Campaign Announcement at Yeouido Park with Citizen Participation
Promises to Provide Care Services and Support Moa Housing
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Park Jumin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, officially announced his candidacy for Seoul mayor. He introduced himself as "born in '73, father of 5-year-old Sol" and expressed his commitment to alleviating the anxieties Seoul citizens face regarding housing, employment, and childcare.
On the 24th, Park held a press conference at Yeouido Park in Seoul, stating, "Since the Kim Dae-jung administration, we have established various welfare systems, including the National Basic Livelihood Security System," and added, "Despite many efforts to establish the basics of welfare, we are still failing."
He continued, "The ten million citizens of Seoul all live with their own anxieties, though the scale may differ. Housing insecurity, employment insecurity, childcare insecurity, care insecurity, old-age insecurity... the list is truly endless."
He then appealed to Seoul citizens, saying, "Please join me in confronting the everyday anxieties. I will take the lead."
At the announcement, five citizens representing youth, self-employed workers, cultural artists, civic groups, and social workers took the stage to express their support.
Park pledged to resolve care insecurity issues. He explained, "From those receiving livelihood, medical, and housing benefits in each district and neighborhood of Seoul, to seniors receiving national pensions and basic pensions, from daycare centers and kindergartens to nursing facilities and caregiving, we will make it our highest goal to provide comprehensive care services covering projects from the Ministry of Health and Welfare to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family."
To this end, he said he would place a 'Safe Care Status Board' in the mayor's office and publish a 'Safe Care Report' every six months.
To alleviate housing insecurity, he emphasized the need for housing supply. He stated, "In areas where redevelopment is possible, even on a small scale, various incentives should be provided to enable maximum development. In areas where redevelopment is difficult, issues such as aging housing, parking, green spaces, and care should be actively addressed to provide conveniences similar to those enjoyed by apartment residents," adding, "We will invest more budget and resources into the 'Moa Housing' and 'Moa Town' projects diligently developed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport."
He also promised to sequentially resolve anxieties related to discrimination, employment and job security, tuition, loans, housing prices, and assets.
The day before, the Democratic Party's Emergency Committee announced that former Minister of SMEs and Startups Park Young-sun would not run, making the Democratic Party's Seoul mayoral primary a three-way race among former party leader Song Young-gil, Park Jumin, and former lawmaker Kim Jin-ae.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
