People Power Party Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon raised the level of criticism toward Democratic Party of Korea Seoul mayoral candidate Chong Won-o, urging him to "state a clear position" on the so-called "special counsel for indictment cancellation" bill.
After releasing related pledges on the morning of the 8th for Parents Day, Oh told reporters that Chong must clearly state a position on signals that shake the foundation of separation of powers, such as the special counsel for indictment cancellation bill.
Oh said, "The controversy began to intensify when the position was not to abandon a bill that would create a special counsel who could cancel indictments for crimes the president is accused of, but to ask for discussion on the timing and procedures."
He added, "A Seoul mayoral candidate who says they will be responsible for 10 million Seoul residents, regardless of party, should clearly state a position on signals that destroy the very fundamentals of common-sense democracy and shake the basis of separation of powers."
Aiming at Chong, he said, "I believe the attitude of dismissing that as political strife shows a lack of qualification to be Seoul mayor."
The bill being pushed by the Democratic Party of Korea is characterized by granting the special counsel the authority to cancel indictments, allowing a special counsel appointed by the president to cancel the president's trial, raising potential constitutional concerns. So far, Chong has not expressed a particular position on the bill.
Meanwhile, on the same day, Oh released pledges on care for seniors and children to mark Parents Day.
The senior pledge released by Oh, "Aging In Place (AIP)," centers on building an age-friendly city where services such as housing and leisure can be enjoyed in an integrated way near one's residence. To that end, Seoul plans to subsidize 80% of the out-of-pocket costs for non–long-term care grade seniors to receive in-home medical care.
As for child-related pledges, he released the vision for "denser Seoul-style child care support," which expands care infrastructure near home. The core is to expand care spaces such as community child centers for school-age children to about 100 locations, and, through the "Seoul Child hearty meal" project, to provide lunches during vacations for dual-income and single-parent families.