Oh Se-hoon’s Political Career Like a 'Drama'... Park Hyung-joon as a Leading 'Conservative Commentator'

Seoul Mayor-Elect Oh Se-hoon, Busan Mayor-Elect Park Hyung-joon... Who Are They?

Seoul Mayor-elect Oh Se-hoon is arriving at Seoul City Hall for his first day of work on the 8th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporters Kum Boryeong, Jeon Jinyoung, Park Juni] A political drama unfolds when looking at the career of Oh Se-hoon, the elected mayor of Seoul. After winning the 16th National Assembly election in 2000 representing Gangnam-eul, Seoul, he was consecutively elected as Seoul mayor in 2006 and 2010, becoming known as a representative of the so-called 'young conservatives.' At 45 years old in 2006, he was the youngest elected mayor of Seoul in the era of direct elections.

However, after staking his position on the 2011 free school meals referendum and resigning, he spent ten years out of politics. From December 2013 to July 2014, he served as a member of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) mid- to long-term advisory group in Peru, and later stayed in Rwanda, Africa for six months to gain administrative know-how. He compiled the diary he kept during that time into a book titled Oh Se-hoon, Leaving the Road to Learn Again.

In the past five years, he has faced political hardships. He ran in several elections including the 2016 general election, the 2019 party convention, and last year's general election but suffered consecutive defeats, leading to a perception that his presence within the party had weakened. When he announced his candidacy for the Seoul mayoral by-election earlier this year, he was trailing behind Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, and Na Kyung-won, former member of the People Power Party, ranking third in support.

However, by successfully unifying the opposition, he consolidated his support base and was once again chosen by the citizens of Seoul in this election. Oh’s greatest strength is his 'administrative experience.' Throughout the campaign, his slogan was 'Skilled from Day One.' At the People Power Party’s parliamentary meeting on the 8th, Oh said, "I will do my best to demonstrate true skillfulness so that people say, 'He’s really different,' and 'He works well,' laying the foundation for regime change next year."

Park Hyung-joon, the elected mayor of Busan who previously taught sociology at Dong-A University, became a member of the National Assembly in 2004 but failed in his attempts in the 2008 and 2012 general elections. During the Lee Myung-bak administration, he served as the Blue House’s Public Relations Planning Officer and Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, earning the nickname 'MB man.' From 2014 to 2016, he served as the 28th Secretary-General of the National Assembly. From 2017 until last year, he appeared on various current affairs programs on multiple broadcasters, gaining recognition and establishing himself as a leading conservative debater through disputes with Yoo Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation.

On the same day, Park appeared on CBS Radio’s Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show and said, "I feel a very heavy responsibility on my shoulders," adding, "Busan’s future depends on the next two to three years, and I believe this is a time when a struggle is needed to seize a new leap forward. I will be a mayor who fights for that."

Park Hyung-jun, the elected mayor of Busan, is paying respects at Chungnyeolsa Shrine in Dongnae-gu, Busan, on the morning of the 8th. (Photo by Yonhap News)