Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon are heading to the conference room for a meeting of the leaders of Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 16th, according to Yonhap News.
[Financial News] The National Assembly’s audit of the government enters its second week starting on the 20th. The administrative safety committee and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport’s local government audit are scheduled, anticipating a tense showdown between ruling and opposition parties with next year’s local elections in mind.
According to political circles on the 19th, the administrative committee and the land committee plan to conduct audits of metropolitan municipalities from the 20th to the 24th. The administrative committee will audit Incheon and Sejong City on the 20th, Gyeonggi Province on the 21st, Seoul City on the 23rd, and Daejeon City and Gangwon Province on the 24th. The land committee will conduct audits on Gyeonggi Province and Seoul City on the 20th.
The highlights will be the audits of Seoul and Gyeonggi, expected to be the main battlegrounds for the local elections. The Democratic Party is expected to challenge Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon from the People Power Party, while the People Power Party is likely to target Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong-yeon of the Democratic Party.
In the case of the land committee, Democratic Party members Yeom Tae-young and Han Jun-ho, who are contemplating running for the Gyeonggi governor position, might launch attacks against the incumbent governor Kim Dong-yeon. Within the Democratic Party, there is a belief that retaining the Gyeonggi governorship is a possibility, leading to an anticipated fierce primary. Kim Eun-hye, a member of the People Power Party also seen as a potential candidate for the Gyeonggi governor race, is expected to engage in a confrontation with Governor Kim as she is also on the land committee.
It is reported that no members of the administrative committee from either party are considering running for Seoul mayor or Gyeonggi governor. However, a high-intensity debate is expected as Myung Tae-kyun will appear as a general witness in the Seoul audit. Mayor Oh is suspected of having received polling results from Myung and having a supporter cover costs during the 2021 by-election.
Real estate is expected to be the central issue. With the Lee Jae-myung administration having announced the 10-15 real estate measures, designating the entire city of Seoul as a land transaction permit zone, friction with the Seoul government has occurred. Debates regarding the formulation and implementation of real estate measures are expected in both the land and administrative committees.