First Official Schedule: Visit to Jjokbangchon after Announcing Candidacy
Meets Oh Sehoon, Pledges to Inherit "Companionship with the Vulnerable" Policies
Targeting Honam Votes... Pays Respects at Gwangju May 18 Cemetery
Former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo met with Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon in a meeting at a jjokbangchon (shantytown) on the 2nd, marking his first official activity since announcing his presidential bid. Han stated, "I will review many of the policies developed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government as potential policies of my own."
On this afternoon, Han visited the Donui-dong jjokbangchon in Seoul, where he and Mayor Oh inspected community facilities and the status of medical support in the area. Afterwards, they had lunch together, sharing a bowl of sundae-guk at a nearby restaurant.
Former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo and Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon are having a luncheon meeting at a restaurant in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd. Photo by Yonhap News
During the meeting, Han asked Mayor Oh, "Would it be possible to significantly incorporate your 'Companionship with the Vulnerable' initiative into the pledges I will soon announce?" To this, Mayor Oh replied, "Of course. While I cannot run for office myself, I will make sure the policies I have prepared are put forward."
He added, "If any candidate needs detailed information to implement policies that Seoul has been carrying out, I am willing to provide everything. Whoever gets there first, gets it."
Later, Han spoke with reporters about his decision to visit the jjokbangchon as his first public activity, saying, "If we are to achieve social integration, the basic principle must be companionship with the vulnerable." He emphasized, "Mayor Oh has done a great deal under the slogan of companionship with the vulnerable."
Regarding the government's welfare policy direction, Han stressed selective welfare over universal welfare. He explained, "If resources are distributed equally to everyone, it requires a significant budget to achieve tangible results. The foundation of our welfare policy should be to support those in need, while allowing recipients to use the support according to their own preferences and choices."
He continued, "It is a policy that harmonizes conservative values with companionship with the vulnerable. I will further review many of the policies developed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and I intend to boldly adopt those that are good."
Han's meeting with Mayor Oh immediately after announcing his presidential bid is interpreted as a preliminary step toward building an 'anti-Lee Jaemyung big tent.' Mayor Oh, who is not running in this presidential election, is considered to have relatively strong support among centrist voters and is seen as a potential bridge for a broader conservative coalition.
Later in the afternoon, Han is scheduled to visit and pay his respects at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Gwangju. Han's hometown is Jeonju, North Jeolla Province.
He explained, "Gwangju is a region where we all share the painful experience of the May 18 Democratic Uprising. I decided and prepared to visit the May 18 Democratic Cemetery on the first day of my campaign announcement."
He added, "Many people sacrificed their lives during the Gwangju May 18 Democratic Uprising. I believe it is essential to have the attitude that such events must never happen again, and that we should be the first to consider and care for the pain carried by the victims and their families."
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