[Political Spotlight] Oh Se-hoon, from AI Big Picture to Constitutional Amendment Debate... Presidential Campaign Warms Up

Differentiating Through 'Local Autonomy' Constitutional Amendment Proposal
Securing the Initiative After Announcing AI Policy Vision

Following Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's unveiling of his artificial intelligence (AI) vision, he has embarked on an expansive campaign advocating for a constitutional amendment to promote local autonomy. Analysts interpret this as Oh, considered a leading potential candidate within the ruling party, gearing up for the presidential election by taking the lead on key policy issues.

On the 12th, Mayor Oh held a "Discussion on Constitutional Amendment for Overcoming the 1987 System and Promoting Local Autonomy" at the National Assembly Library, emphasizing, "South Korea is facing a national crisis, and to turn this crisis into a better opportunity, a constitutional amendment must be realized."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is delivering the opening remarks at the "Local Decentralization Constitutional Amendment Forum to Overcome the 1987 System" held at the National Assembly Library on the 12th. 2025.2.12 Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Mayor Oh highlighted "local autonomy" as the core of his constitutional amendment proposal. He explained that discussions on constitutional amendment are necessary as a national development strategy to overcome local extinction. This marks a differentiation from other presidential candidates who focus on resolving political structural issues through constitutional reform. Oh stated, "I hope this becomes a forum to look far into the nation's future and consider what discussions can enable South Korea's quantum leap."

Specifically, he proposed a methodology to transfer the "three major authorities"?budget, personnel, and regulations?to local governments. Mayor Oh suggested, "We must delegate substantial authority to local governments so that each region can establish and implement independent development strategies," adding, "More bold measures are needed, such as adjusting the ratio between national and local taxes and rebalancing resources and administrative personnel."

On the 11th, he also presented an AI policy vision. The plan includes establishing an AI fund worth 500 billion KRW to invest in related startups and nurturing approximately 10,000 AI talents annually. The goal is to position South Korea alongside the United States and China as one of the "top three global AI powerhouses." Oh emphasized, "Recently, through China's DeepSeek, a hot topic, I saw hope that AI latecomers can develop low-cost, high-performance technology," and added, "AI is a 'game changer' for all industries, and now is the golden time for investment."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is delivering the opening remarks at the "Local Decentralization Constitutional Amendment Forum to Overcome the 1987 System" held at the National Assembly Library on the 12th. 2025.2.12 Photo by Kim Hyun-min

In political circles, attention is focused on the fact that Mayor Oh is pushing policies with the possibility of an early presidential election in mind. While concretizing national development strategies such as AI, a future growth engine, he is also asserting his political presence by supporting constitutional amendment discussions. Considering the ruling party's internal situation, where it is difficult to bring early presidential elections into public debate, he is managing political messaging while drawing up policy blueprints based on the "Seoul Mayor premium."

A political insider analyzed Mayor Oh, saying, "In terms of party standing, he has strengths over Representative Ahn Cheol-soo and former Representative Yoo Seung-min, and politically, he may be seen as more left-leaning than Minister Kim Moon-soo or Mayor Hong Joon-pyo," adding, "He has cautiously begun his presidential campaign." A representative from the People Power Party evaluated, "If the early presidential election phase begins, he could be perceived as a prepared candidate despite the relatively short preparation time."

Meanwhile, as Mayor Oh entered the discussion venue, attending citizens stood up shouting "Fighting" and chanted "Oh Se-hoon," applauding him. The large attendance of ruling party lawmakers at the discussion was also notable. Party leadership, including Emergency Committee Chairman Kwon Young-se, Floor Leader Kwon Seong-dong, Policy Committee Chair Kim Sang-hoon, and Secretary-General Lee Yang-su, all made appearances. About 30 lawmakers attended, including pro-Yoon faction senior lawmaker Yoon Jae-ok, former Floor Leader Choo Kyung-ho, Representative Joo Ho-young, and Representative Ahn Cheol-soo, who co-hosted the discussion.