Democratic Party of Korea Chong Won-o, a Seoul mayoral candidate, and Reform Party Kim Jeong-cheol, a Seoul mayoral candidate, talk before the 2026 Seoul Mayoral Election Candidates' Debate at SBS Prism Tower in Mapo District, Seoul, on the 28th./Courtesy of Yonhap News Agency

At the TV debate for Seoul mayoral candidates held on the 28th, questions were also raised about the legal risk facing Chong Won-o, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate for Seoul mayor, and Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor.

Kim Jeong-cheol, the Reform Party candidate, said, "Candidate Chong Won-o has until recently been locked in a truth battle over past allegations of being a habitual violent offender," and added, "Candidate Oh Se-hoon is also on trial over the Myung Tae-gyun risk." Kim added, "I think voting for the only clean and safe candidate with no legal risk who follows election law well is how Seoul citizens uphold the principles and pride of the city."

In response, candidate Chong Won-o did not hide displeasure, saying, "I have said this repeatedly and explained it many times. Yet bringing this up again in a debate setting, regardless of the topic, makes the election process murky."

Then candidate Kim said, "Candidate Chong also leads a Starbucks boycott and talks about matters tied to insulting the May 18 Democratization Movement, so he should be able to give a clear answer about his own habitual-violence controversy."

Candidate Oh, regarding the Myung Tae-gyun risk, said, "In the Myung Tae-gyun case, testimony from key witnesses has already been completed in court, and it has been revealed to a large extent that there were lies," adding, "We asked the court for a swift ruling, but it was delayed."

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