Four-term mayor reverses stance amid party concessions, vows to drive innovation from Seoul
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Tuesday he will register as a candidate in the city’s mayoral race under the conservative People Power Party, ending days of delay as he pressed for internal party reform.
Speaking at a press conference at Seoul City Hall, Oh said he decided to enter the race out of “a sense of responsibility to Seoul citizens and a commitment to put the party before personal interests.”
He said he could not take lightly the support and trust he has received from the public and the conservative bloc.
Oh had twice declined to declare his candidacy on March 8 and 12, calling for sweeping reforms within the party leadership. His decision to register came after the party’s nomination committee reopened applications for a third time, in what was widely seen as a direct appeal for his participation.
The four-term mayor sharply criticized People Power Party Chairman Jang Dong-hyeok and the leadership, accusing them of failing to demonstrate a willingness to change.
“Unfortunately, the leadership has not shown a level of reform that the public can accept,” Oh said, adding that the party was being led “in the wrong direction” without clearly distancing itself from far-right YouTubers.
He further warned that the leadership’s stance was “not just incompetent but irresponsible,” saying it risked putting candidates and party members “on the front lines without protection.”
Oh also lamented that the conservative bloc’s traditional “DNA of innovation” was no longer visible within the party. He vowed to push for change starting in Seoul if the leadership fails to act.
Oh said his candidacy would aim to drive party reform and push for the creation of an innovation-focused election committee. He also stressed that he seeks to win the election “through the choice of the citizens, not the choice of the president.”
The party has made partial concessions to secure Oh’s participation. It refrained from reappointing media spokesperson Park Min-young, a hard-line party figure who had echoed pro-Yoon Suk Yeol rhetoric and whom Oh had singled out as a target for personnel overhaul, and adopted a resolution signed by all 107 party lawmakers opposing the former president’s return to politics.
However, the leadership did not accept Oh’s demand for the early launch of an innovation-focused election committee. Observers say Oh is likely to continue pressing Jang for a shift in the party’s direction even as he joins the primary race.
Divisions within the People Power Party have persisted over its political direction following the impeachment and removal of former President Yoon over his martial law declaration. While some members have called for a clear break from Yoon to broaden voter appeal, Jang has emphasized maintaining ties with the former president and preserving the party’s conservative base.
Analysts said the lack of viable alternatives within the party also contributed to Oh’s decision. The Seoul mayoral race, often dubbed a “mini-presidential election,” carries significant political weight. High-profile figures such as Na Kyung-won and Ahn Cheol-soo have declined to run.
Other contenders in the primary include former lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook, local party chair Lee Sang-gyu, and Rep. Park Soo-min.
Oh, first elected Seoul mayor in 2006, is the first head of a metropolitan government to be elected four times in South Korean history. If elected in the June 3 local elections, he would become the first five-term Seoul mayor.
jychoi@heraldcorp.com
