As the Seoul mayoral race heats up, the gap between Democratic Party of Korea candidate Chong Won-o and People Power Party candidate Oh Se-hoon appears to be narrowing. In a poll conducted by the Korea Society Opinion Institute for CBS on the 23rd-24th (wireless ARS), Chong's support stood at 45.6%, while Oh's was 35.4%. That differs from earlier surveys in which Chong's support topped 50%.

Also, when Realmeter conducted a party approval rating survey of 1,006 voters aged 18 or older nationwide on the 23rd-24th at the request of Energy Economy News, the Democratic Party recorded 40.9% and the People Power Party 37.2% in Seoul. Compared with the prior week, the Democratic Party plunged 9 percentage points, while the People Power Party jumped 7.1 percentage points.

The photo shows Chong Won-o, Democratic Party of Korea Seoul mayoral candidate (left), attending the Seocho One by One, Step by Step! event at the underground mall of the Seoul Express Bus Terminal in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 27th, and Oh Se-hoon, People Power Party Seoul mayoral candidate, speaking at his candidacy press conference in front of Bosingak in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 27th./Courtesy of News1

In the Seoul mayoral race, the narrowing gap between the Democratic Party and the People Power Party appears to have been influenced significantly by real estate voters. With President Lee Jae-myung and the broader ruling camp signaling an overhaul of the long-term holding special deduction, Seoul voters are seen reacting sensitively.

Oh Se-hoon's camp has kept up attacks, calling on Chong to clarify his position on the debate over abolishing the long-term holding special deduction. It has also issued successive criticisms of the Lee Jae-myung administration's real estate policy. In a commentary on the 29th, Spokesperson Park Yong-chan of Oh's campaign said, "Seoul is in an ultra-emergency over the jeonse shortage, and the apartment jeonse crunch is spreading to villas and officetels." Park added, "It is due to an absolute supply shortage caused by the Lee Jae-myung administration's misguided real estate policy," and said, "The administration's excessive 'fixation on owner-occupation' is the core cause of the jeonse shortage."

Chong Won-o countered the same day by unveiling a pledge to accelerate redevelopment and reconstruction. The centerpiece is to slash the current minimum 15-year timetable for maintenance projects to within 10 years and to expand the areas eligible for floor area ratio incentives for redevelopment and reconstruction to quasi-industrial zones. The plan also includes directing LH to create a separate metropolitan maintenance headquarters and expanding and reorganizing a dedicated unit at SH to actively invigorate public maintenance projects.

Meanwhile, the People Power Party is pinning hopes on a recent rise in support in Seoul for the party and for Oh Se-hoon. A lawmaker in the Seoul area said, "Whether Democratic Party candidate Chong Won-o's support tops 50% or not makes a clear difference in the race," adding, "A gap of around 45 to 35 as it stands is one that can be fully overturned within a month."

There is also analysis that Oh Se-hoon's support rose after he drew a clear line early from leader Jang Dong-hyeok. A People Power Party official said, "Voters dissatisfied with Jang's leadership now have a reason to support Oh."

For details on the Korea Society Opinion Institute and Realmeter polls, see the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.

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