"10 Years Off" vs "Never Took a Break" Na Kyung-won and Oh Se-hoon, Heated Exchange Intensifies

Na Kyung-won "With Rich Government Experience, I Might Do Better Than Someone Who Took a 10-Year Break"
Oh Se-hoon "Na Kyung-won's Pledge Has Unclear Aspects"

On Sunday the 7th, ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party's preliminary candidate for Seoul mayor, visited Jungang Market in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, greeting merchants.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Na Kyung-won, former People Power Party lawmaker running for the Seoul mayoral by-election, criticized former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon by calling him "someone who has taken a 10-year break," implying a lack of administrative capability. Former Mayor Oh directly refuted this on the 7th, stating, "I have never taken a break for 10 years."

On the same day, after visiting Jungang Market in Bongcheon-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, Oh met with reporters and criticized Na’s youth and newlywed subsidy pledge, saying there were unclear aspects to it.

Earlier that morning, in an interview with Shindonga, Na described Oh as "someone who has taken a 10-year break." She said, "Seoul’s administration has changed a lot over the past 10 years," adding, "I have been consistently active in legislative work and have extensive national government experience, so I think I can do better than someone who has taken a 10-year break."

Na Kyung-won, a preliminary candidate for the Seoul mayoral by-election from the People Power Party, is announcing job policy pledges in front of Seoul Botanic Park in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 7th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

This was not the first time the two candidates engaged in a war of words. On the 18th of last month, during KBS Radio’s 'Kim Kyung-rae’s Strongest Current Affairs,' when the host asked Oh to mention what makes him better than Na, Oh pointed out the lack of administrative experience among Na and other candidates, saying, "It takes about a year just to understand daily administrative tasks."

He continued, "I used provocative terms like 'intern mayor' and 'novice mayor,' but they are not far from the truth, and in that regard, I have a relative advantage," he emphasized.

In response, Na fired back on her Facebook, saying, "As a four-term lawmaker, opposition floor leader, and someone who ran for Seoul mayor when the party was in difficulty, I am confident I can perform better than someone who has taken a 10-year break."

She also addressed Oh, recommending, "I suggest you watch the movie 'The Intern' to see how Robert De Niro saves a company in crisis," adding, "Experience and ability never disappear."

Na further stressed, "The Seoul mayor is not a position to work alone," and said, "It is a role that listens to public sentiment, proposes the right direction, oversees overall tasks, and leads the organization productively through rational personnel decisions and evaluations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.