Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon [Yonhap News file photo]

On the 26th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon criticized the so-called "Samsung Electronics Honam semiconductor investment rumor" as a "political rampage" and a "privatization of state affairs."

In a post titled "A Political Rampage for Hardcore Supporters, the Damage of Which Falls Solely on the People" uploaded to his Facebook page that day, Mayor Oh argued, "The large-scale semiconductor investment in the Honam region led by the Blue House is a 'privatization of state affairs' that twists the arms of major corporations and infringes on the freedom of business activities for the sake of calculating votes."

He added, "Ignoring the securing of electricity, water, and human resources—which are essential for industrial survival—they are eroding national competitiveness through irresponsible interference aimed solely at rallying supporters for the election."

Mayor Oh further pointed out, "What is even more serious is that by capitalizing on the hardcore supporters' hostility toward the prosecution, they are even destroying the national judicial system," and warned, "If the neutralization of supplementary investigation rights, which even government advisory committees have warned against, is forced through, it will lead to shoddy investigations without checks and potential corruption, resulting in fatal damage that will be borne entirely by individual citizens."

He added, "Both semiconductors, which are the engine for future growth, and judicial justice, which protects the people, have been relegated to tools to satisfy the whims of hardcore supporters and maintain the regime."

Mayor Oh emphasized, "President Lee Jae-myung must read the public sentiment from the last election clearly," adding, "What the people are waiting for is not arrogant power plays that look only toward a portion of supporters, but fair and competent politics that protect the lives of all citizens."

Furthermore, he stated, "If this political rampage that harms the people is not stopped immediately, only stern judgment awaits."

After attending the People Power Party Seoul City Chapter's June 3rd workshop for elected officials that day, Mayor Oh met with reporters and, when asked about the meaning of his SNS post, noted, "The common denominator between these two issues (Honam semiconductor investment and supplementary investigation rights) is that a specific party is utilizing issues crucial to the nation's future and people's livelihoods for their internal party convention," adding, "It is an incredibly irresponsible policy approach for the ruling party."

He pointed out, "The question of where a semiconductor industrial complex should be located is a matter of efficiency regarding where it would best support corporate management and secure a competitive edge internationally, yet the government is effectively steering it toward a specific region and using it for internal party politics."

He continued, "It is unacceptable to use this specifically to court hardliners or the Honam region to secure an advantageous position in the national convention."

He also remarked, "If supplementary investigation rights are treated as a punishment for the prosecution's past misconduct, the damage will inevitably fall on individual citizens," adding, "The public is watching the use of such topics as a means to appeal to hardcore supporters during the national convention phase, and it will inevitably become a target of national condemnation."