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| Mayor Park Won-soon | Rep. Chung Mong-joon |
By Jun Ji-hye
The potential competition in the Seoul mayoral race between incumbent Mayor Park Won-soon and Saenuri Party frontrunner Rep. Chung Mong-joon is heating up with the two running neck and neck in recent opinion polls.
Park, who is bidding to win reelection as a member of the main opposition Democratic Party, garnered support of 46.5 percent compared to the seven term lawmaker's 45.3 percent, according a survey by the daily Joongang Ilbo.
Chung is quickly narrowing the gap, as January polls gave him 40 percent to Park's 50 percent.
With the June 4 local elections approaching, the two are intensifying their verbal battle against each other.
Chung started the attack earlier this week, saying "Seoul residents' per capita income fell to fourth place from first (while Park has been in the office) among local governments."
He made the remarks while criticizing the mayor's decision to create vegetable gardens on an artificial island in the Han River where his predecessor Oh Se-hoon had planned to build an opera house.
"It was a very disappointing decision," said Chung.
Park's closest confidant Ki Dong-min, vice Seoul mayor, shot back on his behalf, saying, "I hope Chung will study more about Seoul before making any comments."
"According to Statistics Korea, Seoul residents' per capita income has remained in second place since 2008," said Ki. "Citing groundless statistics is not the virtue of a responsible politician, it is just a lie."
Ki added that Park did not cancel Oh's opera house plan, saying, "Park just put the plan on hold until the city government secured enough money."
Commenting on Chung's argument that the incumbent has done little for Seoul, Ki retaliated by noting that the lawmaker submitted only 15 bills while serving seven terms at the National Assembly over 26 years.
"It means he proposed only 0.6 bills a year. Can people say that he was a hardworking lawmaker?"
In his official announcement for his bid for the Seoul mayoral post Sunday, Chung also criticized Park for his announcement in January of constructing ten light rail transit lines.
"Park earlier promised that he would not carry out civil engineering and construction projects," said Chung, indicating that the former was going back on his pledge. "Plus, he does not have the authority to decide such plans."
Ki responded, saying, "That is a lie. It also shows Chung has never studied Seoul's transportation policies."
He said mayors and governors are authorized by the Urban Railroad Law to establish light railways.
Park Ho-jin, Chung's spokesman, retorted that mayors and governors need to seek final approval from the minister of land, infrastructure and transport to actually implement such plans.
In January, even before Chung made his bid official, he was engaged in a war of words with Park.
During a New Year's Party in Dongjak-gu, Chung's constituency, Park said, "Chung definitely outdoes me in one area ― football."
Former FIFA vice president Chung responded: "Football would not be the only thing I am better at."
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