[Park Jong-il Autonomous News] Can 'Jamlryong' Oh Se-hoon Create a Presidential Brand Like Lee Myung-bak's 'Cheonggyecheon'?

Mayor Oh recently received visits from Lee Jun-seok, People Power Party leader, Choi Jae-hyung, former Board of Audit and Inspection chief, and Yoon Seok-youl, former Prosecutor General, discussing political issues as a rising presidential contender... However, to run for president, despite limited time, he must present supply measures to stabilize the Seoul real estate market.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Recently, Mayor Oh Se-hoon has been gaining significant popularity.

This is because presidential candidates, including Lee Jun-seok, former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung, and former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, have been visiting Mayor Oh one after another.

As a result, Mayor Oh has emerged as a highly influential leader within the opposition camp.

Why is Mayor Oh attracting such popularity?

Mayor Oh achieved the honor of being elected as the ‘third consecutive popularly elected Mayor of Seoul’ by securing an overwhelming number of votes in the April 7 Seoul mayoral by-election.

Not only was this a personal victory for Mayor Oh, but it also provided a significant boost to the People Power Party, which had suffered four consecutive defeats since the fifth local elections, by opening up the possibility of winning next year’s presidential election.

Thus, Mayor Oh has secured his position as a potential presidential contender who offers hope for victory to the People Power Party and the opposition.

There must be reasons why opposition presidential candidates, including the party leader, have flocked to Mayor Oh.

In particular, for the party leadership, including Lee Jun-seok, who was the key contributor to Mayor Oh’s election, Mayor Oh is solidifying his status as the party’s hidden potential leader.

Despite this status, Mayor Oh faces several challenges to firmly establish his position as the Mayor of Seoul.

The day after his election, on April 8, Mayor Oh first visited Kim In-ho, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, to request cooperation, to which Chairman Kim readily agreed.

Mayor Oh raised his voice as the Mayor of Seoul by promoting ‘Seoul-style quarantine’ and ‘revitalization of reconstruction projects,’ showing a confrontational stance toward the government.

He has also expanded his activities by holding meetings with heads of organizations such as the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business.

However, with the outbreak of the fourth wave of COVID-19, some criticized, “Is Mayor Oh the Mayor of Seoul or a presidential candidate?”

In particular, Chairman Kim In-ho warned of ‘suspending cooperation’ with Mayor Oh, stating that “the places Mayor Oh should be are quarantine sites and small business owners facing difficulties.”

Since then, Mayor Oh, seemingly startled by Chairman Kim’s warning, has been visiting quarantine sites and showing active field engagement.

Meanwhile, on the 19th, former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung visited, followed by former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl on the 26th, lending support to Mayor Oh. Especially since these two candidates have struggled to raise their approval ratings, it seems they needed to meet with Mayor Oh.

Despite their own denials, it is interpreted as a strategic move to elevate their status by aligning themselves with Mayor Oh, the next potential leader of the People Power Party.

Mayor Oh also appeared very bright while meeting these presidential candidates.

However, for Mayor Oh’s presidential path to be smooth, he will need a solid ‘brand’ like Lee Myung-bak’s Cheonggyecheon project.

Mayor Oh has his own brand called ‘Design Seoul’ from his tenure as Mayor during the fourth and fifth terms.

However, he also experienced failure when he voluntarily stepped down from the mayoral office following the collapse of the free school meal referendum.

Mayor Oh has officially stated that after completing his current term as Mayor of Seoul, he intends to run again in next year’s mayoral election. This is interpreted as his intention to challenge the presidential election after securing definite administrative achievements in the next local election.

Nevertheless, within political circles, rumors abound that if problems arise in the opposition’s candidate support during this presidential election, Mayor Oh will be drafted as a strong candidate. It is presumed that Mayor Oh is aware of these rumors.

However, to firmly establish his position as a presidential candidate, Mayor Oh will need to propose measures to revitalize reconstruction and ease height restrictions along the Han River to boost real estate supply.

This is because during the election, Mayor Oh pledged to revitalize reconstruction in areas like Mok-dong and Yeouido, which contributed to the rapid rise in apartment prices. Above all, he must present measures to stabilize the real estate market.

Although it does not seem easy, without a clear ‘brand of his own,’ it will be difficult to persuade the public.