"Even When I Resigned as Mayor in the Past, It Was Also a Minority Government with a Majority Opposition"
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon expressed that he "deeply understands emotionally" President Yoon Suk-yeol's final statement at the Constitutional Court impeachment trial, mentioning the situation of a minority government with a majority opposition.
In an interview with Yonhap News TV on the morning of the 26th, Mayor Oh said, "It was truly painful to listen to," and added, "I think President Yoon inevitably felt a great sense of helplessness in the repeated impeachment phases under a minority government with a majority opposition."
He then recalled the time when he resigned from the mayoral office in the past. Mayor Oh explained, "The direct cause when I resigned as mayor 15 years ago was free school meals, but underlying that was the fact that the minority government with a majority opposition was 9 to 1 at the time," and said, "Ultimately, due to that helplessness, I thought, 'I am a figurehead mayor,' which led to my resignation."
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is speaking at the 1st Seoul Innovation University Support Committee meeting held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on February 24, 2025. Photo by Jo Yong-jun
Regarding the emergency martial law, he pointed out the mistakes. Mayor Oh said, "The means chosen by President Yoon were reckless and unreasonable in some aspects, so the public was greatly surprised," and added, "I hope that regardless of which side of the political spectrum the citizens support, after the Constitutional Court's decision, the atmosphere will move toward reconciliation."
When asked about an early presidential election, he still showed a cautious stance. When asked if he would decide to run in an early election, Mayor Oh said, "I think we need to be mentally prepared because we do not know how the Constitutional Court's decision will come out," but added, "It is difficult to speak about it until the decision is made." Regarding Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo's remark about resigning as mayor in the event of an early election, he said, "This is a matter that should be decided after careful consideration once the Constitutional Court's decision is made, and I think it is a bit premature to speak about it in advance."
He firmly denied allegations related to political broker Myung Tae-gyun. Mayor Oh stated, "Most of the dates Myung said he met me are distributed between January 20 and 30, 2021. That was before we cut ties," and elaborated, "Even if you repeatedly talk about meetings before we cut ties, it is meaningless."
Regarding unpublished opinion polls, he emphasized, "There is evidence from reports that the data went to the party, not our campaign." Mayor Oh said, "At that time, unifying with candidate Ahn Cheol-soo was necessary to increase the chances of winning, but Elder Kim Jong-in kept opposing it. That mystery has been solved by recent data," and added, "When Myung Tae-gyun conducted unpublished opinion polls and brought data showing 'we can win even in a three-way race' to the party and Elder Kim Jong-in, that explains why those remarks were made, and now I understand."
On the inheritance tax reform plan, Mayor Oh argued, "I think child deductions and grandchild deductions are necessary," and said, "If the system is promoted so that people can divide assets to their sons, daughters, and grandchildren whenever possible, based on the judgment that tax savings are possible, it will also help revitalize the national economy."
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