Jeong Won-oh: "Real estate policy to be discussed with the Lee Jae-myung administration"... Oh Se-hoon: "Repeating rookie answers"

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\r\n[The Financial News] Jeong Won-oh, the DPK candidate for Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor, said on the 11th that he would discuss the issue with the Lee Jae-myung administration over concerns that heavier capital gains taxes could freeze the market and worsen the rental shortage. He said the central government is responsible for tax policy, and he does not yet hold the authority of the Seoul mayor. Oh Se-hoon’s camp criticized him for repeating only "basic answers." Oh also renewed his call for a one-on-one debate, saying that avoiding a debate would mean he is unfit to be Seoul mayor.
On CBS Radio that day, Jeong agreed with the outlook that heavier capital gains taxes could freeze the market. But he said concerns about rising home prices should be handled differently, noting, "Real estate tax policy is the central government's job, while housing supply is the local government's job, isn't it?" He added, "So we need to communicate closely and frequently, look at concrete data, and discuss it in detail."
When asked about recent statistics from the Korea Real Estate Board (KREB) showing that Seoul property prices are on the rise, he said, "If I am elected Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor, I will use that data to discuss with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport how to address it." He also pushed back against Oh's offensive over signs of rising home prices, saying, "Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has run city affairs for five years, yet he is blaming a government that has been in power for only one year. He should look at himself first."
In response, Oh's campaign committee criticized him for offering "mindless answers."
Park Yong-chan, a campaign spokesperson, said, "He kept repeating extremely abstract and elementary answers, such as saying he would consult with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport or discuss it with KREB. As the mindless answers continued, the anchor could not hide his frustration, saying they were too generic." He added, "The current rental crisis in Seoul is so severe that calling it a real estate hell would not be an exaggeration. It is shocking, beyond disappointing, that the ruling party's candidate for Seoul mayor keeps repeating the same generic line about discussing the issue without offering any concrete alternative."
Oh's campaign also rebutted Jeong's claim that no school site had been designated in the plan to supply 6,000 housing units in the Yongsan International Business District (YIBD). Spokesperson Hojun Seok said, "For the originally planned scale of around 6,000 homes, a plan to accommodate students by expanding nearby schools had already been discussed with the Office of Education." He urged Jeong to withdraw the remark and apologize to Yongsan residents. He also demanded that Jeong "stop saying anything that comes to mind and instead debate in front of Oh and the public."
Earlier, Oh had proposed a public one-on-one debate with Jeong. The proposal came as the dispute over real estate and housing supply measures intensified. Jeong dismissed it, saying he would focus on practical solutions for people's livelihoods rather than political fighting. Oh also said on social networking service (SNS) that day, "Debate is not a fight. Anyone who avoids debate is not qualified to become Seoul mayor."
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uknow@fnnews.com Kim Yun-ho Reporter