Jo Yujin, Yeongdeungpo District Mayor Candidate: "Yeongdeungpo Sex Trade Hub... Will Resolve Within One Year" [Interview]

"District Mayor Holds 2,000 to 3,000 Powers"

"You Must Fully Understand Your Authority to Serve Residents"

Jo Yujin, Democratic Party Candidate for Yeongdeungpo District Mayor

"There are still several sex trade establishments near Yeongdeungpo Station, operating under plastic tents along the main street and soliciting customers. What has been done until now? How is it that such activities still occur openly where children can see them?"

Jo Yujin, the Yeongdeungpo District Mayor candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea, brought up the issue of the sex trade hub at the very beginning of the interview. She stated, "I will resolve the issue of the sex trade hub within one year of taking office," adding, "Even just consistently cracking down makes it difficult for these businesses to operate. This is ultimately about the determination of the district mayor."

Candidate for Yeongdeungpo District Mayor, Yujin Cho, expresses her determination to close down the Yeongdeungpo sex trade hub in an interview with The Asia Business Daily. Provided by the election office.

Candidate Jo is a fifth-generation native, born in 1968 in Singil-dong, Yeongdeungpo District. She attended Dorim Elementary School and earned a master's degree from Seoul National University's School of Law and Graduate School of Law. She previously served as an administrator in the Office of Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House during the Participatory Government. In 2015, she founded the 'First Constitution Institute' and has served as its director, focusing on policy research. The Asia Business Daily met with her on the morning of May 14 at her campaign office near Yeongdeungpo Market Station. The following is a Q&A.

-You have pledged to resolve the sex trade hub within one year. Is this possible with administrative power alone?

It is possible. Ultimately, it comes down to the determination of the local government leader. We need to examine whether there has ever been consistent and strong enforcement. If we carry out continuous crackdowns 24 hours a day, pimps will find it difficult to continue their businesses.

If necessary, I will personally go to the sites to oversee the crackdowns. I plan to operate a two-track strategy, combining strong enforcement with dialogue with workers. I will also establish a separate communication channel to support those seeking to leave the sex trade, and will reference the experiences of other local governments. If any sponsorship funds come into that sector, they will be returned without exception. Accepting such money would make enforcement impossible.

-You are running for an elected position for the first time in 10 years since you ran for metropolitan council. What is your strength?

The powers granted to a district mayor number between 2,000 and 3,000. I doubt how many local government leaders are fully aware of their own authorities. This is a diagnosis I confirmed myself while carrying out ordinance revision projects for local governments nationwide at the First Constitution Institute. If you are unaware of your own powers, you cannot use them for the benefit of residents.

While a local government leader does not necessarily have to be a legal professional, they must at least possess a basic legal understanding, political sense, and administrative experience. I have specialized in constitutional law, and have also worked as a policy aide at the Blue House and in local government. My interest in researching the practical value of the Constitution began when the late President Roh Moo-hyun, during my time at the Blue House, suggested, "Why not study how to integrate the Constitution into politics?"

Through extensive policy research and ordinance revision projects for local governments nationwide, I have continuously identified practical gaps in administration. My core vision is to establish a 'constitution-based administrative system' that reflects constitutional values in local governance and prioritizes the basic rights of residents above all else.

-If elected, what will be your first official approval?

My first approval will be designating December 3, the day the illegal 12·3 martial law was declared, as 'Yeongdeungpo Democracy Festival Day.' Every year on that day, I will also propose an ordinance to hold a festival and a 'People's Assembly,' where residents directly vote on major district issues.

-Yeongdeungpo is undergoing simultaneous redevelopment and reconstruction in the Singil, Daerim, and Yeouido areas.

To resolve the so-called 'cartel' issue of collusion between redevelopment/reconstruction-related businesses and public officials, I will conduct a comprehensive review of the administrative system. At the same time, to prevent residents from suffering losses by signing contracts without professional knowledge, the district office's experts will help pre-screen for harmful clauses in contracts. By introducing urban regeneration managers, we will go beyond consulting to enhance both transparency and speed in dispute mediation and practical support services.

-The undergrounding of the Gyeongbu Line railway and 'Cheonhajeil Yeongdeungpo' are key pledges.

The Gyeongbu Line, which has divided Yeongdeungpo north and south, splits the city in two. Areas such as Singil, Daerim, Dorim, and Mullae are separated from the central districts of Yeouido and Yeongdeungpo by the railway, and residents have had to endure long detours via overpasses and underpasses, as well as noise, dust, and safety concerns.

In January 2024, the 'Special Act on Railway Undergrounding and Integrated Railway Site Development' was passed by the National Assembly, providing a legal basis. To expedite the project for the Yeongdeungpo section, I will immediately launch a consultative body with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and Korea Railroad Corporation. We will create a 'Yeongdeungpo North-South 10-Minute Connected City' that reconnects the separated neighborhoods. Development profits will be managed transparently and reinvested in transportation improvements and revitalization of local businesses.

Yeongdeungpo is the place where the Korean Provisional Government first arrived, the site of the 'Miracle on the Han River,' and the cradle of democracy where the National Assembly that established the 1987 democratic constitution is located. Building on this legacy, I will transform it into a cutting-edge future economic city, a high-quality international city, and the center of K-culture.

Jo Yujin, candidate for Yeongdeungpo District Mayor, is smiling while explaining key pledges in an interview with The Asia Business Daily. Courtesy of the campaign office.

◆About Candidate Jo Yujin

△Born in Yeongdeungpo District △Dorim Elementary School △Master of Law, Seoul National University School of Law and Graduate School of Law △Administrator, Office of Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs (Blue House) during the Participatory Government △Policy Aide, Namyangju City △Non-executive Director, Yeongdeungpo District Facilities Management Corporation △Director, First Constitution Institute △Special Advisor to the Democratic Party of Korea Leader (current)

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