Flame Debate Over Unification... Kim "Why Focused on '21 Minutes'?" vs Park "Compensating for 10-Minute Neighborhood Drawbacks"

Kim Jin-ae "Only Park Young-sun obsessed with the 21-minute number... F grade"
Park Young-sun "It complements the drawbacks of the 10-minute neighborhood claimed by Candidate Kim"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Park Young-sun, the Democratic Party candidate, and Kim Jin-ae, the Open Democratic Party candidate, engaged in a heated TV debate over the final unification ticket for the pro-government Seoul mayoral candidate. In particular, both candidates emphasized their abilities and qualifications in their urban planning visions, leading to an intense policy verification battle.

On the 12th, Kim Jin-ae appeared on the JTBC Seoul mayoral candidate unification debate and criticized Park Young-sun's flagship pledge, the "21-minute city," saying, "Why did the number 21 come up? It would be strange if it were not the 21st century or the year 2021." Park proposes dividing Seoul into 21 multi-core cities, allowing citizens to enjoy hospitals, education, shopping, and culture within a 21-minute walking distance.

However, Kim pointed out that the 21-minute city is overly focused on artificial symbolism.

Park Young-sun, the Democratic Party of Korea's Seoul mayoral candidate, and Kim Jin-ae, the Open Democratic Party's candidate, pose before holding a press conference to announce the unification plan at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 9th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Kim harshly criticized, "You drew 21 circles within Seoul, but you even drew one over the Han River. If students came up with a plan that ignores the city like this, I would give them an F grade." She added, "You need to move away from the number 21." Regarding the Four Great Gates, she questioned whether it meant walking from Gwanghwamun to Dongdaemun, dismissing it as a city plan that has existed for over 10 years. Kim said, "Han Myeong-sook, the then Seoul mayoral candidate, proposed this pledge, and former Mayor Park Won-soon inherited it and has been implementing it for 10 years."

In response, Park countered, "Kim advocated for a '10-minute neighborhood,' and the 21-minute city is an expansion and development of the shortcomings of the 10-minute neighborhood." She continued, "The 21-minute city shares the same spirit as Kim's 10-minute neighborhood but is expanded into a Seoul-type model."

Kim also mentioned the vertical garden city, referring to "The Vessel," a landmark built as part of the Hudson Yards redevelopment project in Manhattan, New York City, saying, "It's exactly like The Vessel." She added, "Maybe the Amazon CEO could do it, but it is not desirable for the Seoul mayor." She especially criticized Park's vertical garden city architectural plan as the work of a specific architect, asking, "Are you planning to award a sole-source contract?"

Kim said, "As a mayor with a term of one year and three months, there are urgent issues to solve, but Park's pledges talk about a 100-year Seoul, the 21-minute city, and a green city." She criticized, "If this continues, Seoul's administration will be paralyzed. If housing stability achievements are not made immediately, the Moon administration's credibility could decline."

She also pointed out that building the vertical garden city would cost 500 billion to 800 billion won, ultimately burdening Seoul's finances.

In response, Park said, "Because it is done together with the private sector, it will not be such a burden."

The two candidates plan to decide on a unified candidate after the second debate on the 15th and a two-day public opinion poll on the 16th and 17th.

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