Jeon Hyun-hee launches bid for Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor, makes dismantling DDP her first campaign pledge

[Financial News] Jeon Hyun-hee of the Democratic Party of Korea launched her bid for Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor on the 2nd, making the dismantling of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) her first campaign pledge.
At a press conference held that day at the National Assembly Communication Center, Jeon unveiled her platform on housing supply, metropolitan rail construction, and a Han River bus service. Criticizing the administration of Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor Oh Se-hoon, she called it "nothing but incompetence."
Targeting DDP, one of Oh Se-hoon’s signature projects, she argued, "It is a prime example of Mayor Oh’s showpiece-style administration. Built like an island, it has been cut off from the surrounding fashion and clothing markets in Dongdaemun, turning the area into a virtual ghost town and killing the Dongdaemun commercial district." In its place, she pledged to build a multipurpose complex arena tentatively named "Seoul Dome," which could host K-pop concerts, baseball and soccer games, and e-sports competitions.
Jeon also highlighted her experience as an elected lawmaker in both Gangnam District and Gangbuk, the area north of the Han River in Seoul, vowing to "achieve a grand unification of Seoul." She served as a representative for the Gangnam-eul constituency in the 20th and 21st National Assembly, and currently represents the Jung–Seongdong A constituency in the 22nd National Assembly, a district located in Gangbuk.
Jeon noted, "A large share of young people who used to live in Seoul have moved to Gyeonggi Province, which has clearly accelerated the aging and conservative tilt of the Seoul electorate. This Seoul mayoral election will not be an easy race for the Democratic Party of Korea." She added, "The fact that I have won in Gangnam District and prevailed in the Han River Belt is a competitive edge that other candidates do not have."
Building on this, Jeon proposed using the planned Seoul Dome in Dongdaemun as a focal point, connecting it with the royal palaces of the Joseon Dynasty in central Seoul, the Seoul City Wall (Hanyangdoseong), Gwangjang Market, the Dongdaemun Jewelry Shopping District, and Seun Sangga. She said this would "revitalize the commercial district in the Dongdaemun area, turn it into a core cultural and tourism special zone, and open a new era for Gangbuk."
Her emphasis on development in Gangbuk, where support for the Democratic Party of Korea is relatively strong, is seen as an attempt to appeal to voters in the party’s primary for the Seoul mayoral race.

jiwon.song@fnnews.com Song Ji-won Reporter