Oh Se-hoon: "Park Young-sun's 'Youth Transportation Fare Discount' Is a Low-Level Proposal"

On the 1st, one day before the early voting for the April 7 by-election, Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor, is appealing for support at the Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail on Dongil-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul. On the right is Kim Jong-in, the central election committee chairman. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor, criticized Park Young-sun, the Democratic Party candidate, calling her 'youth transportation fare discount' pledge a low-level proposal.

Oh made these remarks on the 1st during a campaign event at the Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail in Nowon-gu, Seoul.

Oh said, "I doubted my eyes and looked again when Park said she would cut bus and subway fares for young people by 40%," adding, "Since youth support is falling, she is trying to win the hearts of young people ahead of the election." Park pledged at a campaign event in Yangcheon-gu on the same day to introduce the Seoul Youth Pass system to support youth transportation. This system would allow youths aged 19 to 24 to use buses and subways at about a 40% discounted fare.

Oh continued, "Why did the Democratic Party's solid support base of people in their 20s and 30s collapse?" and emphasized, "The biggest reason is the hypocrisy of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Mee-hyang, former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don, and former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, which disappointed and angered young people."

Oh also said, "(Park) said young people lack historical experience, and when young people got even angrier, she promised to cut public transportation fares by 40%," adding, "To young people who are angry at and want to judge the fundamental hypocrisy of this government, offering just a transportation fare discount and asking them to vote for her is a low-level proposal."

Regarding Park's pledge to provide disaster relief funds of 100,000 won per person, Oh expressed a negative opinion. He said, "Can we forgive the ruling party that thinks giving out 100,000 won each will win votes?" and shouted, "We must judge this administration that looks down on the people's judgment this way."

At the Nowon-gu campaign event that day, Kim Jong-in, the chairman of the People Power Party, also attended. Kim particularly criticized the current government's real estate policy. Kim pointed out, "The biggest failure of the Moon administration's economic policy is the real estate measures," adding, "Raising taxes made real estate prices go up even more, turning the real estate market into a complete speculative market, which eventually led to the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) scandal."

Kim referred to former Blue House policy chief Kim Sang-jo, saying, "They set a rule not to raise rent prices by more than 5%, but he himself recently raised the jeonse (key money deposit) price by 14%. This is the reality of those working in this government," and added, "They talk about pursuing justice and fairness on the surface, but for their own benefit, they turn a blind eye and pretend not to see. This is the reality of the current government."

Meanwhile, Oh continued to emphasize joint management of Seoul City with Ahn Cheol-soo, the leader of the People Party. He said, "The biggest mistake of the Moon administration was failing to practice politics of integration and harmony and instead causing division," adding, "Ahn and I will excellently co-manage Seoul City and show President Moon Jae-in that people long for politics of integration and harmony."

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