Oh Se-hoon on Kim Min-seok's 'willingness to cooperate' remark: "Late, but a relief"

[Financial News] Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and the Democratic Party of Korea have successively indicated the possibility of cooperation over Seoul's municipal administration. After Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok said he would not unconditionally oppose Mayor Oh's administration and would cooperate on matters needed by citizens, Oh responded by calling it "a meaningful change." Oh referred to Kim's remarks the previous day at a Seoul Metropolitan Government–Seoul Metropolitan Chapter of the People Power Party breakfast party-government consultation meeting held at Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 30th, saying, "I think this is a relief." He stressed, "There are many issues on which we must stand opposed at the national political level, but I hope cooperation can be achieved at the level of city administration and serve as a foundation for improving the quality of life for Seoul residents." 
Kim Min-seok stated the previous day at the Democratic Party of Korea Seoul Budget and Policy Meeting held at the National Assembly that he was "willing to cooperate" on Seoul's municipal administration. He said, "The Democratic Party of Korea's stance is to take a mature position—not to oppose Mayor Oh Se-hoon's administration unconditionally, but to make it beneficial from the citizens' perspective," and added that Seoul's pending issues should be approached from the perspective of citizens' lives and responsibility rather than electoral victories and defeats. The point was that, as the governing party, the Democratic Party of Korea would cooperate with Seoul Metropolitan Government on necessary policies and budgets.
Oh Se-hoon also mentioned changes in the Democratic Party of Korea's position on the 'Garden of Gratitude' at Gwanghwamun Square and the development of Yongsan Park. He noted that Kim Min-seok had said, in effect, that the Garden of Gratitude would have to remain even if the mayor changed in the future, and that Kim had taken a cautious position on the construction of youth rental housing at Yongsan Park. Oh expressed the view that it was "late, but a relief."
However, Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Democratic Party of Korea still have many issues to resolve. Recently, Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Democratic Party of Korea-majority Seoul Metropolitan Council clashed over the 'Youth AI Growth Voucher Support Project,' a flagship initiative of Mayor Oh. A supplementary budget of 5.625 billion won, allocated to provide generative AI vouchers to 500,000 young people, was fully cut during the council's deliberations. The Democratic Party of Korea cited insufficient preparation regarding the project's effectiveness, recipient selection, and detailed education plan as reasons for the cut.
The issue also came up at that day's party-government consultation with the Seoul Metropolitan Chapter of the People Power Party. Jo Eun-hee, chair of the Seoul Metropolitan Chapter of the People Power Party, cited the cuts to the youth AI budget as an example while saying that she would "provide support so that Mayor Oh can run the municipal administration smoothly even under an opposition-majority situation."
Shin Dong-wook, a supreme council member of the People Power Party, said, "Whatever political circumstances arise, I hope Seoul, at least, can unite around the mayor, help district party chairs who are not serving in the National Assembly enter the legislature, and arrange opportunities for consultations whenever important matters arise."

[email protected] Seong Cho-rong Reporter