Chong Won-o, the Seongdong District chief who has rapidly emerged as the Democratic Party of Korea's Seoul mayoral candidate, met Kim Byung-kee, the party's floor leader, on the 22nd. The meeting drew attention in political circles as it came while the Democratic Party of Korea's Seoul mayor hopefuls were throwing checks toward Chong in succession.
Chong visited the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the day and met the floor leader Kim. Chong said the visit was for greetings, and Kim said they encouraged each other and exchanged deokdam. The meeting lasted a little over 10 minutes.
Chong is being mentioned in multiple opinion polls as a leading Seoul mayoral candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea. In particular, after President Lee Jae-myung shared a media article that said the Seongdong District residents' satisfaction with Chong's district administration was 92.9% and wrote on social media, "He must be quite good at getting things done. My Seongnam city administration satisfaction was quite high, but I wouldn't even be able to put my business card down," Chong's name recognition and standing within the party changed significantly.
As Chong gained the title of "Myeongsim (明心)," sitting Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers who jumped into the Seoul mayoral race began to check him. In the Democratic Party of Korea, lawmakers Park Ju-min, Park Hong-keun, and Kim Young-bae have declared their bids, and former Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Chairperson Jeon Hyun-hee and lawmaker Seo Young-kyo are also preparing to run.
On the 19th, Park Ju-min was asked about Chong on MBC radio and answered, "Everyone is working hard in their own way," but when asked about a meeting between party leader Jung Chung-rae and Chong, said, "If you request a meeting, he meets everyone."
Park Ju-min also drew a line against Chong on the day by calling for a complete scrapping of the Hangang bus. Chong argued that the Hangang bus project should be converted for tourism to minimize sunk costs.
Regarding this, Park Ju-min wrote, "I cannot agree with the argument to convert it (the Hangang bus into a tour bus) on the grounds of sunk expense," adding, "Continuing with a more dangerous choice because money has already been spent on a wrong decision is not administration but irresponsibility."
Not only Park Ju-min but other Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers in the Seoul mayoral race often play down Chong's popularity in private. A staffer for a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker said, "The Seongdong District election and the overall Seoul election are entirely different," adding, "Chong will find it hard even to get through the party primary."
The meeting between Chong and floor leader Kim on the day drew more attention against this backdrop. Kim said, "Because the Seoul mayoral election is the most important, I asked that we be guided to victory through fair competition," adding, "We must win next year's election." It effectively recognized Chong as an important candidate in the Seoul mayoral race.
Asked by reporters how he assessed the intensifying checks from sitting lawmakers, Chong said, "Because it is fair competition, I think they said it with good intentions," adding, "In competition, I think such aspects are necessary."
On the timing of a run declaration, he said, "I am an administrator type, so I act rather than talk."