Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor, criticized rival candidate Chong Won-o, saying, "It seems he doesn't even have a grasp of the concept of public interest in redevelopment and reconstruction."
On the 14th, candidate Oh attended a forum hosted by the Korea News Editors' Association for invited Seoul mayoral candidates and, saying that "(candidate Chong) doesn't know and is saying something wrong," pointed out Chong's plan to supply dwellings.
At the forum, Oh addressed Chong's mention of supplying "10,000 households" in the Yongsan International Business District, saying, "If 10,000 units are supplied, the international function and residential function will shift to 'five to five,' making the international function meaningless."
He added, "Also, there will be issues of having to build an elementary school by law and undergo another traffic impact assessment," and explained, "If 6,000 units are supplied in Yongsan as originally planned, nearby schools can accommodate the number of students, so an agreement had been reached with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) not to build a school."
He went on, "The biggest problem is that the plan has to be redrawn, which delays procedures by two years," adding, "I don't think delaying two years is a truly desirable choice."
Oh also said Chong's dwellings pledge, "Step-by-step development," is unrealistic. Oh said, "It takes about four to five years to relocate, demolish, and build anew, and approvals for management and disposition and so on have to proceed in order, so what used to take 20 years I cut to as little as 12," adding, "During which period, and which part, can be shortened to cut it two more years than I did?"
Oh also criticized a remark by Chong, who had attended the forum earlier that morning, that he would strengthen the public interest through youth and low-income housing support policies in response to concerns that "public interest could be weakened in the redevelopment process."
Oh said, "You're not even prepared on what public interest means in reconstruction and redevelopment projects," adding, "Public interest means securing it by providing roads that contribute to the public in reconstruction complexes or by including a certain ratio of rental housing."
He continued, "If you adhere to the principle of public interest more than necessary, profitability falls and there is a possibility the renewal project will drop out midway," adding, "To resolve profitability, you have to reduce the public interest, but the Democratic Party is even maintaining the reconstruction excess profit recovery system as a party line."
Oh went on, "People from the Park Won-soon era have joined Chong's campaign," adding, "Because it's an election, they say 'I will also supply,' but without self-reflection, there is a high chance they will return to the old line."