[News Figures] Park Hee-young, Who Took the Last Train to Itaewon Arrest... 6-Month Rollercoaster

From 30% Vote Share as District Councilor to 60% Vote Share as Yongsan District Mayor
Fate of Being Arrested Over Itaewon Tragedy and Safety Responsibility

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] "We will spare no administrative support to create a pleasant and safe residential environment and ensure the peaceful daily life of Yongsan residents." The keyword emphasized by Park Hee-young, the mayor of Yongsan-gu, in his inauguration speech on July 1 was 'safety.'

Yongsan encompasses affluent neighborhoods such as Hannam-dong and Ichon-dong as well as densely populated working-class areas. It has the geographical characteristic of being at the center of Seoul. Yongsan is considered a place poised to grow beyond even Gangnam in Seoul.

With the relocation of the presidential office, Yongsan also holds unique political symbolism. The reason Jongno was called the 'political number one district' is closely related to it housing the Blue House. The president now works from Yongsan, not the Blue House. This is why there was keen interest in who would become the new mayor of Yongsan-gu in the 8th nationwide simultaneous local elections held on June 1.

Park Hee-young, the Yongsan District Mayor, who is accused of professional negligence causing death and injury related to the Itaewon disaster, is attending the pre-trial detention hearing at the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 26th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The new mayor of Yongsan-gu is the first to take charge of Yongsan’s administration after President Yoon Seok-yeol’s inauguration. Among the 25 district mayors in Seoul, this mayor inevitably receives special attention.

For Park, who ran as the People Power Party candidate, last summer night was like a dream. At that time, candidate Park Hee-young was elected with 62,788 votes, securing 60.67% of the vote. The competitor, Kim Cheol-sik of the Democratic Party, received 38,636 votes, accounting for 37.33%. It was a decisive victory for Park Hee-young.

In particular, candidate Park Hee-young achieved a high vote share of 77% in Ichon 1-dong and 64% in Itaewon 1-dong. Yongsan has transformed into a stronghold of the People Power Party, intertwined with the real estate boom. Although it is a region favorable to the People Power Party, it was not an easy place for politician Park Hee-young.

Before winning this local election, Mayor Park had not achieved satisfactory results in Yongsan elections. In 2014, as a member of the Saenuri Party, he ran for Yongsan district council and was elected with 35.87% of the vote. In 2018, running as a member of the Liberty Korea Party for the Yongsan city council election, he lost with 38.44% of the vote. At that time, the Democratic Party candidate won with 61.55%.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

It was a disappointing result that a candidate running under the conservative party banner in Yongsan recorded a vote share in the 30% range.

However, this year’s local election coincided with a wave of support for the People Power Party, and he tasted the joy of victory with an overwhelming 60% vote share. The political stature of Park Hee-young, who had only experience as a spokesperson for the Liberty Korea Party and as a policy advisor to People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Young-se, rose vertically.

As winter came, his fate changed. He now stands on the political brink related to the Itaewon tragedy. On the 26th, Judge Kim Yu-mi of the Seoul Western District Court, who is in charge of warrants, issued an arrest warrant for Mayor Park on charges of failing to properly establish safety measures related to the Itaewon tragedy (professional negligence resulting in death and injury).

Judge Kim stated after the pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant substantive examination), "There is a clear indication of criminal charges and a concern for evidence tampering." While the results of the subsequent investigation and trial must be observed, the situation is serious. Mayor Park is also a key target of the National Assembly’s audit. The year 2022 is expected to be remembered as a political rollercoaster for Mayor Park.

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