Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon wished to scrap the city slogan of "I.Seoul.U" promoted by his predecessor, late Park Won-soon, as soon as he took up the mayoral post in 2021, he said during a Seoul Metropolitan Council questioning Wednesday.
Oh's comment came in response to a council legislator's question about who made the decision to change the city slogan despite "unnecessary costs" to do so.
"It was I who made the decision," Oh said.
"I wished to change the slogan on the first day I returned to Seoul City Hall after a by-election (in 2021). ... But I had to wait for some time."
The capital city adopted the new slogan "Seoul, My Soul" on April 28 following rounds of public voting. Seoul announced it would replace "I.Seoul.U" last August after consulting the public.
Oh cited the lack of Seoul residents' support for "I.Seoul.U" when it launched in 2015. The new slogan had a 34 percent approval at the time.
The "I.Seoul.U" slogan "seemed to be far from adequate to enhance Seoul's external image," Oh told the council.
