Rep. Chung Mong-joon announces his bid to run for Seoul Mayor at the 

Kim Gu Plaza of Mt. Namsan in Seoul recently. (photo: courtesy of Rep. 

Chung Mong-joon's Office)

Rep. Chung Mong-joon, a seven-term legislator from the ruling Saenuri Party, announced his candidacy for the Mayor of Seoul on March 2 and has been campaigning to win his party’s nomination ever since over such rivals as former Prime Minister Kim Hwang-shik and ex-Rep. Lee Hei-won.

The younger brother of Chairman Chung Mong-koo of Hyundai Motor Group, and a majority stakeholder of Hyundai Heavy Industries, the largest shipbuilder in the world, in his statement announcing his candidacy said, “Seoul is the face of Korea and its competitiveness is that for all of Korea,” in the way of stressing the creation of jobs in the metropolis by reviving the massive Yongsan Development Project, which failed to take hold due to many problems in the past.

The project involved the redevelopment of the huge area around the Yongsan Railroad Station in the center where a number of skyscrapers with shopping malls, residential facilities and offices will be built, creating many jobs.

He said he can’t leave the largest city in Korea alone as its per capita income is 5th among the large cities of the nation, and he came to the decision to run for the top position in Seoul to save the city from further deterioration.

First and foremost among his campaign promises he stressed the creation of jobs in the capital city, calling for expansion of welfare programs for the residents in Seoul to warmly embrace them, especially those who suffer economic hardships, adding that welfare measure increase is the call of the times. “We have to not only increase it, but also reform its systems,” he stressed.

“The best welfare measure is providing jobs and Seoul City has a large potential for the creation of jobs and the city can create many jobs in cooperation with the government,” he said. 

Rep. Chung said there are a bunch of politicians who take advantage of the general public, while there are politicians who try to make them middle class. There also are those who do nothing unless something happens, finding comfort that no troubles occur around them, Chung said in a way of blaming the current mayor, Park Won-soon, for having accomplished nothing to speak of while in office so far. Mayor Park does not belong to any political party, but is close to Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, who is in the middle of establishing a new political party jointly with the opposition Democratic Party.

Chung also boasted about being a seven-term legislator belonging to the ruling party with many political connections, a big help in discussing the city’s major issues with the central government headed by President Park Geun-hye, who was elected on the Saenuri Party ticket.

He toured a number of welfare centers and played soccer with the team of his alma mater, Choongang High School in Seoul, and kicked a soccer ball at the Korea High School Soccer Championship held in Seoul, among the many places he toured during his campaign activities.

He also met with many reporters and answered questions regarding his candidacy. With regard to the pro-President Park Geun-hye faction of the ruling party that seems to be behind the former prime minister who he must beat to get the party’s nod to run for the mayoralty of Seoul, he said there should not be factions in the party because the public would be disappointed to see the party split into many factions. But he said he is willing to borrow from many of the former prime minister’s policies in running Seoul if he is elected.

Chung said the selection of the Saenuri Party for its candidate for mayor of Seoul should be fair to truly reflect the will of the Seoul citizens.