Oh Se-hoon Strengthened by MB's 'Regulatory Reform'... "Will Give Hope to the People" (Comprehensive)

Oh Se-hoon Meets Lee Myung-bak to Discuss 'Regulatory Reform'
Lee Myung-bak: "Agenda Set Well... Regulatory Reform Is Necessary"
Praises Oh's Book Title: "Chosen at the Right Time"
Political Circles Interpret as Serious Presidential Move

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon met with former President Lee Myung-bak to discuss the necessity and direction of 'regulatory reform.' Mayor Oh emphasized, "The government's main mission is to provide services that solve difficulties faced by businesses," while former President Lee stated, "the growth of the nation is the growth of businesses," adding, "(Currently) policies are made to gain votes, which limits our development."

On the afternoon of the 4th, Mayor Oh visited former President Lee at the Yeongpo Building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, where they engaged in a conversation centered on an economic growth strategy focused on regulatory reform.

On the afternoon of the 4th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited former President Lee Myung-bak at the Cheonggye Foundation in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Seoul City

At the meeting, former President Lee supported Mayor Oh's 'regulatory reform' policy. While the political circles interpreted this meeting as part of Mayor Oh's presidential ambitions, the discussion focused more on the direction of economic growth rather than the impeachment situation.

When Mayor Oh explained the discussion topics from the ‘Business-Centered Growth-Oriented Regulatory Reform’ forum held earlier at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, former President Lee remarked, "To grow, regulatory reform is necessary," adding, "We have too many regulations. The digital era has passed, and the AI era is coming, but politics remains in the analog era." He particularly questioned, "Can growth happen without regulatory reform?" and emphasized, "Politics must do that." He further elaborated, "When growth happens, the world recognizes it. Who would positively evaluate a country whose economy does not grow?"

Regarding Mayor Oh's upcoming book titled ‘Growth Again,’ former President Lee praised, "You chose the title well at the right time. Rather than using a lofty title awkwardly, growth is what is most needed at this moment," and said, "You have set the agenda well." He also expressed expectations that the growth discourse contained in the book "will give hope to the people of the Republic of Korea."

Former President Lee also stressed, "For the country's status to rise, the economy must first grow. Only then can we compete globally." In response, Mayor Oh said, "That's why I amusingly coined the slogan KOGA (KOrea Growth Again). I borrowed it from U.S. President Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) slogan during his election."

Mayor Oh also shared his thoughts on the 'service government theory' with former President Lee. Mayor Oh's 'service government theory' is based on the premise that the government's main mission is to provide services that solve difficulties faced by businesses. He explained, "From startups to scale-ups, unicorn companies, and large corporations, businesses face challenges and obstacles, and the government's reason for existence is to remove those barriers."

Earlier, at the ‘Business-Centered Growth-Oriented Regulatory Reform’ forum held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mayor Oh pointed out that the Korean economy is effectively facing a zero-growth era and proposed an economic revitalization plan emphasizing a business-centered growth strategy. The core idea is to abolish regulations that hinder economic vitality and transition to a ‘Scale-up Economy’ through digital financial innovation and tax system restructuring.

Mayor Oh identified inefficient tax structures, high regulatory barriers blocking advanced industry growth, and labor market rigidity as obstacles facing the Korean economy. He also highlighted that despite the emergence of the world's top 100 unicorn companies, domestic startups are blocked by regulatory walls, arguing for the need to improve the industrial ecosystem.

In political circles, since Mayor Oh visited former President Lee after proposing the direction toward a ‘Scale-up Economy’ following regulatory abolition, this is interpreted not merely as a courtesy visit but as a serious move toward presidential ambitions. Especially with the conclusion of the Constitutional Court's impeachment trial arguments for President Yoon Suk-yeol and the possibility of an early presidential election being raised, Mayor Oh is considered a leading presidential candidate within the ruling party. Recently, Mayor Oh held a constitutional amendment discussion with ruling party figures at the National Assembly and commented on his presidential candidacy prospects, saying, "Because the election schedule is too tight, I am preparing mentally and organizing my thoughts in advance."

In the economic field, Mayor Oh continues to expand the ‘Scale-up Economy’ based on the principle of ‘regulatory abolition.’ Arguing that dynamism is needed in Korea's industrial ecosystem, Mayor Oh specifically mentioned, "Semiconductors, automobiles, shipbuilding, petrochemicals, and steel, which were the main industries 20 to 30 years ago, still dominate the Korean economy," adding, "We need to nurture new industries such as AI, bio, fintech, robotics, and creative industries like XR, webtoons, animation, and e-sports. To do this, we must create an environment where companies can innovate freely."