The main opposition People Power Party remained open to accepting incumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's candidate registration to run again for the mayoral post, even after the deadline passed Sunday.
Lee Jung-hyun, who oversees the conservative party's candidate nomination process for the upcoming local elections in June, told reporters Monday that Oh's unexpected decision not to apply for the candidacy would not necessarily mean his chances of reelection have completely disappeared.
"Our door to accepting nominations will remain open for the time being and we will wait for more qualified candidates," he said. "Going forward, we will accept additional applications, whether for town chiefs of metropolitan government heads, if necessary."
His remarks signaled a U-turn from his Facebook post earlier in the morning, in which he stressed a need for "proper discipline" in the candidate nomination process, even at the cost of preparing for the election without the most viable candidates.
Asked about the previous comment, Lee said he wanted to highlight that punctuality matters for party members wishing to run for office, rejecting speculation that no additional registrations would be accepted.
This follows the People Power Party's announcement that three conservative politicians had applied to vie for its candidacy for the Seoul mayor election in June, while Oh's name was missing on the list.
Oh has openly called for the People Power Party leadership's severance of ties from disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached and eventually ousted by the Constitutional Court in April 2025, following his botched martial law imposition in December 2024. Yoon was sentenced to life in prison in February for leading an insurrection through the use of military force in a failed attempt to bring the National Assembly under control.
Oh has claimed that the party's separation from Yoon is "a prerequisite for the normalization of the party."
The rift between Oh and the party leadership has grown larger since Yoon was found guilty in a district court and the People Power Party's Chair Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok still effectively refused to cut ties with Yoon and his sympathizers, instead saying the party should cut ties with those calling for a severance from Yoon.
On Monday, Oh told reporters that he "would wait and see" until the party shifts its stance over Yoon.
Later on Monday, all 107 lawmakers of the People Power Party adopted a resolution apologizing for Yoon's declaration of martial law and opposing Yoon sympathizers' request for Yoon's return to politics.
In response, Oh hailed the resolution Monday night by saying that the party "has just met the minimal standard to enter election mode" after his dinner meeting with a delegation of conservative district chiefs, city councilors and district councilors.
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