'Ddoksuni' Jo Eun-hee, Seocho District Mayor, Resigns to Run for Seocho-gap National Assembly Seat

'Smart and Capable' Jo Eun-hee, Seocho District Mayor, Submits Resignation Letter to Council Chair on Oct 29 Ahead of Nov 9 Resignation... Jo, "At This Point, the Best Value Is Regime Change... As the Only Opposition Mayor Who Defended Seoul 24 to 1, I Will Take Responsible Role in Regime Change," "With the Dedication That Created Pedestrian Crossing Shade and the Tenacity That Led Property Tax Reduction, I Pledge to Devote Myself to Regime Change, Political Innovation, and Real Estate Problem Solving"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jo Eun-hee, Seocho District Mayor, submitted her resignation notice to the district council on the 29th to run in the Seoul Seocho-gap by-election for the National Assembly, held alongside the presidential election on March 9 next year.

On the same day as submitting her resignation notice, Mayor Jo reportedly applied for the "People Power Party Seocho-gap Party Committee Chairperson" position. Since the resignation of former lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook, Mayor Jo has been considered one of the most prominent candidates in the Seocho-gap by-election.

According to the Public Official Election Act and the Local Autonomy Act, incumbent local government heads must resign by November 9, and must submit a written resignation notice to the chairperson of the district council at least 10 days before the resignation date.

Known for her administrative imagination that breaks barriers, initiatives such as property tax reductions, and "first mover administration" projects like crosswalk sunshades, Mayor Jo has led Seocho District through the 6th and 7th local government terms, earning residents' praise for "life administration that adds value to citizens' lives."

In the 2018 local elections, when the Democratic Party swept Seoul, she was the only opposition party mayor elected, creating a "24 to 1 victory myth." She gained many votes not only from the MZ generation but also from Democratic Party supporters, attracting nationwide attention. In the People Power Party primary for the April 7 Seoul mayoral by-election, she caused a sensation by ranking third behind candidates Oh Se-hoon and Na Kyung-won, surpassing 14 strong contenders, earning the reputation of a "hidden winner."

A former journalist and the first female deputy mayor of Seoul, Mayor Jo has served as a Blue House secretary and a two-term district mayor, gaining recognition as a "competent mayor" through her outstanding problem-solving skills across national policy, city administration, and frontline governance.

Representing the public sentiment suffering from tax burdens, she stood firmly against the government and ruling party's real estate mismanagement, leading the passage of the "property tax reduction plan for single households with property under 900 million won" in the National Assembly. She also experimented with the "Youth Basic Income Policy," criticizing Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's basic income proposal as irresponsible populism.

Furthermore, she sharply criticized candidate Lee Jae-myung, who copied her initiative to underground the Gyeongbu Expressway as a campaign pledge, demonstrating her policy expertise and opposition strength. Recently, regarding Lee's farewell speech claiming "Gyeonggi Province is the standard of Korea," she posted on Facebook that "If Lee Jae-myung's Gyeonggi Province becomes the standard of Korea, the country will collapse," condemning the Daejang-dong corruption cartel, which resonated widely with the public.

Regarding her candidacy for Seocho-gap, Mayor Jo said, "As the only opposition party mayor, I decided to run to fulfill a responsible role for regime change, which is the best value at this time." She added, "I apologize for not completing my remaining term but will repay with greater achievements." She stated, "I will achieve regime change and political innovation with policies and capabilities that add value to citizens' lives and with steadfast determination," emphasizing, "Especially, I will take the lead in solving real estate issues to alleviate the suffering of citizens burdened by soaring real estate prices and tax bombs."

According to Seocho District officials, Mayor Jo has already completed over 90% of her 7th local government term pledges and recently finalized the district's work plan and budget for next year. She has also thoroughly inspected the entire quarantine system to ensure residents' safety and smooth daily recovery in preparation for the "With Corona" situation, making full preparations to prevent any administrative gaps.

Meanwhile, according to Article 201 special provisions of the Public Official Election Act, which states that if the period from the by-election date to the end of the term is less than one year, the election may not be held, the district mayor by-election will not be conducted. The remaining 7th term Seocho District administration will be managed by Deputy Mayor Cheon Jeong-wook as acting mayor.

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