Seongdong’s ‘idol mayor’ says Seoul can be one of world's top 2 cities

In Seoul’s Seongsu-dong neighborhood, Chong Won-o has built a reputation as a district mayor residents trust and recommend, a standing shaped by 12 years of hands-on governance in Seongdong-gu. That record -- reinforced by President Lee Jae Myung’s public praise on social media -- has lifted Chong’s profile beyond the district and placed him among the leading contenders for Seoul’s next mayor. In an interview with The Korea Herald, Chong said the capital’s next chapter should be defined not by e