Seoul's only four-term mayor finishes 100 days

In the first 100 days, he faced challenges including record rainfall, a backlash over a new garbage incineration plant, and a shortage of late-night taxis.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on Aug. 12 [PARK SANG-MOON]

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon finished the 100th day of his fourth term on Saturday.

In the first 100 days, he faced challenges including record rainfall, a backlash over a new garbage incineration plant, and a shortage of late-night taxis.

Policies Oh rolled out during his fourth term were centered on the city's vulnerable groups.

On the first day of his term on July 1, after his inauguration, he walked around the village of Changsin-dong in Jongno District, central Seoul. Changsin-dong is known for its many jjokbang, or flop houses.

Since then, Oh visited residential child care facilities and support centers for stalking victims to come up with measures for the socially marginalized.

With an ambitious plan to make Seoul one of the top five cities in the world, Oh also introduced various urban development policies.

He unveiled a blueprint to transform a former train maintenance depot in Yongsan District into an international business district that could become an Asian Silicon Valley. He announced a project dubbed the Great Sunset, which includes tourist attractions such as large floating stages as well as the world's tallest observation wheel along the Han River, to attract 30 million foreign tourists.

Oh’s city management seemed without major problems, backed by his People Power Party’s control of Seoul's district office heads and city council — until torrential rains hit the metropolitan area in August.

The heaviest rainfall in 115 years wreaked havoc on greater Seoul, causing flooding in districts like Gangnam and Dongjak.

The mayor came up with measures to build large-scale rainwater storage and drainage facilities, reviving a plan from his earlier term. The plan is to build rainwater storage tunnels 50 meters underground in three areas by 2027: Gangnam Station; Dorimcheon, a stream in Gwanak District, southern Seoul; and Gwanghwamun in central Seoul.

In addition, the city announced it will phase out banjiha, or semi-basement flats, in the next two decades. This came after the deaths of three members of a family who lived in a banjiha in Sillim-dong in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, after flooding from heavy rainfall. But the plan is unclear on many details — including where poor people will live if they don't have such places.

Another big challenge Oh faced is a plan to build a waste incineration plant in Sangam-dong in Mapo District, western Seoul, which is creating a strong backlash from nearby residents. Sangam-dong already has a plant that is to be demolished in 2035. From 2027 to 2035, Mapo will have two garbage incinerators.

Mapo residents and the district head Park Kang-soo complain the site selection process was opaque, and a briefing session for the residents was postponed once.

Seoul's shortage of late-night taxi is still unresolved.

The city earlier said it is mulling a raise in the basic fare for taxis in Seoul from the current 3,800 won ($2.6) to 4,800 won from February next year, and lengthening the window for late-night fares by two hours from midnight to 10 p.m. The transport ministry also offered a pilot plan to increase the taxi-hailing fee in the Seoul metropolitan area during late-night hours from mid-October. Despite such carrots, the city is said to have a shortage of nearly 5,000 nighttime cabs.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]