Kim In-ho, Chair of Seoul Metropolitan Council, Directly Challenges Mayor Oh Se-hoon... Is Cooperation Over?

Chairman Kim Expresses Concern Over Mayor Oh's Political Criticism of Lee Jae-myung's Post-Liberation 'Occupying Forces' Remark on Facebook at 4:28 PM on the 4th... Future Cooperation Between Chairman Kim In-ho and Mayor Oh Se-hoon Appears Challenging

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seoul Mayor Kim In-ho draws attention by delivering a sharp rebuke to Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon.

On the 4th at around 4:28 PM, Chairman Kim posted on his Facebook titled "Regarding Mayor Oh's Political Commentary," beginning with, "A strong stream of rain signals the start of the monsoon, and I believe Seoul citizens are watching anxiously out their windows. I too am deeply concerned about how much this monsoon will disrupt citizens' lives."

He continued, "The hope for herd immunity and the end of COVID-19 is gradually fading. I had firmly believed that by the second half of this year we would overcome the final hurdle and return to normal life, but the rapid spread of the Delta variant is blocking the end of this crisis," adding, "In this situation, Mayor Oh's remarks are very regrettable."

Chairman Kim criticized, "He recently told Governor Lee Jae-myung, who declared his presidential bid, 'Do not use history,' 'Do not sell the past for politics,' and 'It will be difficult to become a future generation leader with immature leftist activist logic.' I think that as the mayor of Seoul, responsible for the lives of ten million citizens, now is a time too short even to focus on city administration."

He also directly addressed, "In this COVID-19 phase with no clear solution in sight, and at a time when flooding is expected across Seoul, Mayor Oh stepping forward as a political commentator is worrisome."

Chairman Kim stated, "As the chair of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, even if there are differences in policy details, I have cooperated with the city administration with a firm will not to miss the golden time to support Seoul citizens. Although there were disagreements on several new projects, passing this supplementary budget was also an extension of the will to minimize administrative confusion by focusing solely on citizens. During this time when every step of city administration is heavier than ever, I had hoped Mayor Oh would naturally prepare policies with such a heavy sense of responsibility," sharply advising him to focus more on city administration than political commentary.

Mayor Oh's remarks appear to be a rebuttal to Chairman Kim's post criticizing Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung, a Democratic Party presidential pre-candidate, who posted a critical article labeling the U.S. military immediately after liberation as "occupying forces."

This comes amid political speculation that former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl's mother-in-law was recently sentenced to three years in prison and incarcerated, and that Mayor Oh Se-hoon might run as the People Power Party's presidential candidate by directly challenging the leading presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, drawing attention.

Moreover, since Mayor Oh was elected in the April 7 Seoul mayoral by-election and returned to the mayor's office after 10 years, Chairman Kim has not strongly opposed Mayor Oh's policies citing cooperation and has continued a cooperative approach. This statement is expected to mark the beginning of more active checks by Chairman Kim on Mayor Oh, drawing attention to future political dynamics.

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