Oh Sehoon Says He Is Deeply Disappointed by People Power Party Mainstream Behavior

Citing Party's Current State as Reason for Withdrawing from Presidential Race
"Can a Party Focused Only on Extreme Supporters Ever Win the People's Love?"

Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon commented on the current situation of the People Power Party, saying, "When I look at the mainstream behavior, I feel very disappointed," and added, "I am experiencing a deep sense of frustration."

At a press conference marking the third anniversary of his inauguration held at Seoul City Hall on the morning of July 16, 2025, Mayor Oh stated, "If you ask whether the party is desperately striving to earn the trust and affection of the people, I cannot give the People Power Party a high score," expressing his views accordingly.

Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon holds a press conference on the 3rd anniversary of his inauguration at Seoul City Hall on July 16, 2025.

He also mentioned that his decision not to run in the presidential primary was not unrelated to his self-reflection on the party. When asked whether he had any regrets about giving up his candidacy, Mayor Oh replied, "Of course I have regrets," but added, "Given the political situation at that time, I fundamentally questioned whether running for office would help the ruling party acknowledge its mistakes and demonstrate a sincere willingness to make painful self-reflection."

Mayor Oh went on to say, "Looking back now, it was by no means the wrong decision," and added, "Everyone knows how the People Power Party should change, but the real question is whether it can actually implement those changes."

He also advised that for the People Power Party to transform, it should not focus on its most extreme supporters, but rather adopt a unifying approach. Mayor Oh said, "With the party convention approaching, everyone inevitably pays attention to the party's core supporters, but I want to urge the party to reflect on the situation where it was swayed by groups like the so-called 'Gaeddal' supporters of the Democratic Party," and questioned, "Can a party that only pays attention to its most extreme supporters ever win the love of the people?"

He continued, "We must always conduct politics with social integration in mind, standing with the underprivileged, and the party must fundamentally reflect on whether policies and a party that only consider core and extreme supporters can truly broaden their base, and operate the party based on that reflection."

Regarding a potential third term bid ahead of next year's local elections, Mayor Oh effectively expressed a positive stance. He said, "The more you work, the more responsibilities you take on, the more ambition you develop, and you start to see things you couldn't see before," adding, "In that sense, I will work hard during my remaining term and await the judgment of the citizens."

Among the judgments of the citizens, he emphasized, "The most important aspects of running a city like Seoul are housing and transportation, and in that regard, I have great pride," mentioning policy achievements such as the Shintong Planning and the Climate Companion Card.