[Local Election Interview] Jeon Hyunhee: "Experience Resolving 10 Million Civil Complaints... I Will Use It to Protect Citizens' Rights"

"The city of Seoul is like a small country...working in sync with the presidential office is crucial"
"The Lee administration's national agenda will be implemented first in Seoul"
"A conservative-leaning Seoul...a candidate with competitiveness in G

"By resolving between 10 million and as many as 15 million civil complaints filed with the e-People petition system each year, I have worked for the protection of people's rights and interests, and I now want to use that experience to work for the rights and interests of Seoul citizens."

Jeon Hyunhee, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea who has declared her candidacy for Seoul mayor in the 9th nationwide local elections to be held on June 3, met with The Asia Business Daily at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 20th and said, "As someone who has worked as a dentist, a lawyer, a member of the National Assembly, and the Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, I can become the most useful tool for the Seoul Metropolitan Government," adding that she can do the job of Seoul mayor better than anyone else.

Jeon Hyunhee, a prospective candidate for Seoul mayor from the Democratic Party of Korea, is being interviewed on the 20th at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

In particular, she expressed confidence that her three years of experience in running state affairs as Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission can be applied most effectively to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. She said, "The number of civil complaints filed with the e-People system in a year ranges from 10 million to as many as 15 million. That means one out of every four to five citizens files a complaint, and we used big data analysis of these complaints to solve various problems."

One of the issues she helped resolve was the "realignment of brokerage fees to half the previous level." When Jeon was appointed Chairperson of the Commission in 2020, real estate prices were skyrocketing and public discontent over brokerage fees was growing. Complaints that brokerage commissions of up to 0.9% of the transaction value were unaffordable were cited as the most frequently raised grievance that year. Jeon then used the "People's Idea Box" platform to gather ideas from the public on how to resolve this issue and launched institutional reforms to cut brokerage fees in half. In the process, she drew institutional improvements by holding consultations not only with real estate agent associations but also with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the competent government ministry.

Jeon said, "Seoul is practically a small country of its own, so it must work in close coordination with the Presidential Office and communicate with each government ministry to draw policies that are advantageous to Seoul. My experience as Chairperson of the Commission was exactly that kind of experience."

She also stressed that she is the only Democratic Party candidate for Seoul mayor who has ever won in Gangnam. Jeon was elected in the 20th general election in the Gangnam constituency in Seoul.

Jeon's flagship pledge is the "construction of the Seoul Dome Arena." She proposes demolishing the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul and building in its place the multi-purpose complex facility called the Seoul Dome Arena. Jeon argued, "DDP is a symbol of Mayor Oh Sehoon's showy administration and superficial politics," adding, "The land alone is worth 3 trillion won, and 500 billion won was spent on construction, yet its annual revenue is only 16.6 billion won. In contrast, the Seoul Dome complex arena can generate 12 trillion won in annual revenue."

In addition, she pledged to build a 50-story public rental housing complex for young people called "Yoonseul" on prime sites across Seoul, including the site of Seoul Medical Center at Samseong Station, which she secured while serving as Chairperson of the Commission. She also said that on the Yongdap-dong site she would not only build youth housing but also operate autonomous vehicles and create a test-bed city that leads a next-generation mobility revolution, where urban air mobility (UAM) and drone taxis would operate.

Jeon Hyunhee, a preliminary candidate for Seoul mayor from the Democratic Party of Korea, is giving an interview at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul on the 20th. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

The following is a Q&A.

- What made you decide to run?

▲ I want to use my diverse experience for the citizens of Seoul. Also, Seoul is a highly conservative city, and as the only candidate who has ever won in Gangnam, I felt a sense of responsibility and wanted to be of at least some use in helping the Democratic Party win the Seoul mayoral election.

- What do you see as your strengths?

▲ I have experience working in tandem with President Lee Jaemyung as part of the party leadership. I have consistently worked with him in confronting the insurrection and in the process of bringing that insurrection to an end. We share a strong consensus on the philosophy of state affairs. As Seoul mayor, I believe I am the candidate who can work in step with the President in Cabinet meetings and implement the governance of the Republic of Korea in Seoul ahead of any other region. My competitiveness in the general election is also a strength. All of the current Democratic Party candidates for Seoul mayor, except for me, have done their politics only in the northern part of the city. I, Jeon Hyunhee, have the greatest chance of winning in terms of both expansion of support and appeal to conservative voters.

- In your declaration of candidacy, you pledged to dismantle DDP. Why?

▲ When DDP was first built, it was said that it would generate 5.4 trillion won in economic benefits for Seoul over 30 years, but that has not been the case in reality. Its internal structure is like a maze. While exhibitions and fashion shows are held there, it is said that the space is not being properly utilized. Even so, it only generates about 16.6 billion won a year. In contrast, a study by the national research institute called the Seoul Tourism Organization found that the Seoul Dome complex arena would generate 12 trillion won in economic benefits per year. The Seoul Metropolitan Government's annual budget is around 51 trillion won, so if it creates 12 trillion won a year, that is roughly one-third. That alone can become a growth engine for Seoul. The idea is to reopen a golden era for the northern part of the city, with Dongdaemun at its center.

- What other real estate policies do you have?

▲ Seoul is rapidly aging. Its population once exceeded 10 million, but now it is around 9.3 million. The birth rate is only about 0.55. This is because most young people are moving out to Gyeonggi Province. We have to create a city where young people can actually "live." I will build the "Seoul Yoonseul" public rental housing. It will not be the kind of rental housing we usually imagine, but the most stylish and sophisticated spaces that young people will want to live in. On prime sites across the city, including the Seoul Medical Center site in Samseong-dong, I will build 50-story Yoonseul apartment complexes. I will also use the SETEC site in Gangnam to create a special arts district. With a love for Gangnam and respect for the northern part of the city, I want to achieve great unity in Seoul.

- Another Seoul mayoral candidate, Jung Wonoh, is also from Seongdong District. How do you differ from District Mayor Jung?

▲ Not long ago, District Mayor Jung sparked controversy when he posted, then deleted, a message that effectively welcomed the first-instance insurrection verdict against Yoon Seokyeol. It seems that, lacking experience in central politics, he has a poor political sense for reading the sentiments within the party. In administration, there is national administration, city administration, and district administration, and District Mayor Jung has only experienced district administration. I, on the other hand, have experience in national administration, so my level of experience is different.

- Do you think the Democratic Party can win the Seoul mayoral election this time?

▲ We must not be complacent. When former Prime Minister Han Myeongsook lost the Seoul mayoral race, she won in 22 out of 25 districts. But she lost because votes poured in for Mayor Oh in the three Gangnam districts. Back then, Seoul's population was 10 million, but now the population has declined, and the city has become even more aged and conservative. In the recent presidential election as well, if you look only at the binary contest between progressives and conservatives, the progressive camp lost in Seoul. The electoral landscape has become more difficult than it was in former Prime Minister Han's time. The key is who can win the most votes in the Han River belt area. That is why I say that I, with my competitiveness in Gangnam, am the most competitive candidate.

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