Seoul mayor candidates lock horns in first debate

Two main candidates for Seoul mayor sparred over ethical qualifications, welfare policies and other issues during their first one-on-one debate Monday, gearing up their campaigns for the high-stake election later this month. The Oct. 26 by-election pits Park Won-soon, an opposition-backed candidate without party affiliation, against Rep. Na Kyung-won of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP), with Park leading in early opinion polls. The vote was set up after former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon voluntarily stepped down in August after he failed to block an opposition-led free school lunch program in the city's first-ever referendum. During Monday's debate hosted by Kwanhun Club, a senior journalist association, the lawyer-turned-activist Park defended himself against a series of allegations about his ethical standards while stressing that it is time for change. "In the process of focusing on the city's face and buildings, good-natured people lost their small dreams," Park said, criticizing ex-mayor Oh of pouring money into big construction projects while neglecting policies for less well-off people. "People want a change, a change that focuses on caring for the people," he said. His rival, Na, a two-term lawmaker, sought to portray Park as a political novice with no proven administrative capabilities, accusing him of trying to capitalize on his reputation as a civic activist for his political ambitions. "Civic groups shine when they remain civic groups. The moment they jump into politics, their purity is damaged," Na said. "I will protect Seoul city from demagogue forces clamoring for fake changes." Na is seeking to catch up with Park, who has catapulted to the lead after star IT entrepreneur Ahn Cheol-soo, once considered an unrivaled mayoral candidate, gave up his bid, saying he would back Park instead. Park, who founded a local charity foundation, is facing criticism over receiving big donations from conglomerates that he had accused of engaging in unfair business practices. The ruling camp also raised suspicions that he was adopted by his grandfather's brother without due process and thus completed the mandatory military duty within six months, a special favor given to the heir in a family without a breadwinner. All able-bodied South Korean young men must serve around two years in the military, a duty considered a key ethical requirement for high-level officeholders and politicians. Park defended himself, saying that he was not aware of the decision at the age of 13 and his parents moved his registry to make him perform a memorial ceremony for his grandfather's brother, presumed killed during his forced military service in northeast Russia in the 1940s. In South Korea, many families still hold a memorial service for their ancestors, and only sons are qualified to perform ancestor rituals, a legacy of Confucianism. "I don't think my parents illegally did it," Park said, stressing that his deceased father was a life-long farmer who didn't know how to bend the rules. With growing household debts and rising commodity prices, both of the candidates pledged to expand welfare services and reduce the capital city's debt. Park said he would adopt policies to help create more jobs based on his know-how from NGO activities and offer affordable rental houses for low-income families. Na used her image as a mother of two children, one with Down syndrome, promising to improve day care services for working moms. The heated exchanges between Park and Na underscore the degree to which attention is being increasingly focused on them in the by-election, which will give a glimpse of public sentiment among independents and swing voters in the Seoul metropolitan area ahead of next year's major polls.