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| Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaks during a press conference at City Hall, Monday, to mark a month since he took the office. Yonhap |
By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Monday that the metropolitan government would continue to use the slogan "I.SEOUL.U," which was created under his predecessor Park Won-soon.
The decision runs contrary to earlier expectations among the public that the new mayor from the conservative main opposition People Power Party would reverse or abolish many of the policies promulgated by Park who was a member of the liberal ruling Democratic Party of Korea.
Saying consistency in administrative affairs was important, Oh said he would not abolish his predecessor's policies just because they were established by a person with different political views, but would develop them so they could help city affairs and the residents of the capital.
"Even if some policies or decisions made by my predecessor are insufficient or undesirable, I, as a successor, want to keep my philosophy to respect administrative consistency in order not to waste our citizens' tax," Oh said during a press conference at City Hall to mark one month since his inauguration.
"In terms of a brand, whether it's well-made or insufficient, it gets more valuable when you keep using it. As a successor, I believe I have a duty to keep using it as much as possible," Oh said, referring to the controversy the slogan brought at the time of its introduction in 2015 for its ambiguity.
However, Oh implied the city would no longer install large-sized "I.SEOUL.U" sculptures around parks or other public areas. "The Seoul brand is intended to be used to promote the city to foreign countries or to attract tourists, but in some cases I can see there was a waste of money."
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| Citizens pass by a large-sized I.SEOUL.U sculpture installed at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall, in this Feb. 24, 2020 photo. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
As well as the slogan, Oh also decided to continue with the remodeling project for Gwanghwamun Square, which was also pursued by his predecessor, unlike wide expectations that he would halt it or modify it.
In regard to recent controversy over the city's move to designate parks along the Han River as alcohol free zones, he said the city would not ban drinking there immediately.
"We will take measures related to restricting drinking in public places after a campaign period of at least six to 12 months," he said.
Since the recent death of a college student who was found dead after drinking at a riverside park, public attention has been focused on measures to ban drinking at Han River parks. Under the revised National Health Promotion Act, which will take effect June 30, the city government can revise ordinances to designate alcohol-free zones.
"It is true that Korea is one of the countries where people can drink in public places without restrictions," Oh said. "A drinking culture has taken root in our society, so it is difficult to restrict it right away. I think it is right to implement it through social agreements by holding forums and public discussions for at least a year."
In regard to housing policy, Oh showed once again his strong determination to expand supply by easing regulations on rebuilding old apartments in the city, so that 240,000 new homes can be offered by 2025, if he is re-elected in next year's local elections.
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