Seoul split over Oh’s bet on vote
By Kim Rahn
While campaigns from both groups supporting and opposing the residents’ vote on the free school lunch program are heating up, people are split over Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s staking his job on the result of the referendum.
Some citizens and conservative civic groups support his wager, saying it showed his commitment for “true welfare,” while others were negative about what they thought was a political show.
The National Anti-Populism Union (NAPU), a civic group supporting Oh’s plan to give free lunches only to students in low-income brackets, respected Oh’s decision.
“Wagering his job is an expression of his strong will to oust populist welfare policy. We respect a person who stakes his position in an important moment of history,” the union said in a statement Sunday in response to the mayor’s press briefing.
An Internet user named Shin Myeong-seok posted, “After Oh announced he will quit if the vote is rejected, many people may have realized how important the vote is. Now, every patriot should go to the polling stations and cast his or her ballot, so that the turnout will be over 50 percent.”
Not everyone felt the same way. Others were not favorable to Oh risking his position, describing it as “overacting.”
Oh Eun-jeong, a company worker, said she supports Oh’s policy but the mayor needs to stop his excessive behaviour. “People may know it was a performance to bring conservative residents in Gangnam to polling stations. But whatever his purpose is, what he should offer in order to raise turnout is sincerity, not a political show.”
Kang So-eun, a gallery employee in central Seoul said, “Oh became the mayor through citizens’ ballots. Even though he may not be able to promote his policies as planned when people vote against him, he has to keep serving Seoul citizens during his remaining term.”
Some worried about possible suspension of projects promoted by Oh, such as the Han River Renaissance, if he quits and an opposition party member takes the post.
“If someone replaces Oh, the successor should maintain or suspend pending projects after considering various aspects including economic advantages and disadvantages, benefits to citizens and the city’s brand value, regardless of political interest. I just hope the successor, if belonging to an opposition party, will not reverse the policies simply because they were promoted by Oh of the rival party,” Yun Ji-yeon, an employee at a finance firm, said.
Some are indifferent to the referendum. “They are just barking at each other. I think both sides are trying to ‘show off’ their ‘achievements’ if there are any,” Gangnam resident Cho Yun-jeong said.