Preliminary Dongjak District Mayor Candidate Park Ilha: "Running for Re-election to Fulfill Redevelopment Promises"

Departure from People Power Party, Joins Reform Party
Registers as Preliminary Candidate on May 8

Park Ilha, prospective candidate for Dongjak District Mayor, stated in a phone interview with The Asia Business Daily on May 9, 2026, “I will run for a second term to see the various development projects initiated over the past four years for the advancement of Dongjak District come to fruition.”

Ilha Park, Candidate for Mayor of Dongjak District, Facebook.

On May 7, Park left the People Power Party and joined the Reform Party. That same day, he held a press conference to officially announce his candidacy, and on May 8, he completed his registration as a preliminary candidate for Dongjak District Mayor. Previously, Park was eliminated in the People Power Party’s nomination process for Dongjak District Mayor and filed an injunction with the court to suspend the effect of this decision.

Regarding his decision to join the Reform Party, Park explained, “Over the past four years, I have steadily obtained various permits and approvals for the development of Dongjak District, and during the next four years, I want to deliver the results and benefits of these efforts to the residents of Dongjak District.” He added, “Chairman Lee Junseok readily agreed to provide support at the central party level.”

Park cited major initiatives pursued during his term, including redevelopment and reconstruction policies aimed at zero heating and cooling costs, attracting the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum to Sadang-dong, relocating Blue Square to Dongjak District, and integrated redevelopment projects covering approximately 900,000 pyeong.

As for the justification for seeking a second term, Park said, “Many residents are participating in the redevelopment projects across more than 900,000 pyeong throughout Dongjak District,” adding, “I am running with the determination to fulfill my promises by winning re-election.”

Park described his urban development philosophy as the concept of ‘real estate welfare.’ He stated, “Simply building apartments is meaningless. There is a fundamental difference between constructing apartments in an area with a world-class museum and building them in a place where there is nothing else. This is what I call real estate welfare.” He also presented a vision to develop the V&A Museum, in connection with the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan, into a tourist landmark.

Meanwhile, the candidate for Dongjak District Mayor from the Democratic Party of Korea is Ryu Samyeong, former local committee chair and former police chief superintendent, while the People Power Party candidate has been confirmed as Kim Jeongtae, former aide to former lawmaker Na Kyungwon.

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