Minseok Kim Weighs Party Leadership Bid?... Prime Minister's Office Requests Exclusion from Seoul Mayoral Polls

The Office of the Prime Minister requested on December 1 that Prime Minister Minseok Kim be excluded from the list of candidates in public opinion polls for the upcoming Seoul mayoral election.

Prime Minister Kim Minseok salutes the national flag at the 11th Mid-sized Entrepreneurs' Day ceremony held at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on December 1, 2025. Photo by Yonhap News

On this day, the Office of the Prime Minister sent an official notice titled "Request for Cooperation Regarding Public Opinion Polls on the Upcoming Seoul Mayoral Election" to media outlets and polling agencies. The notice stated, "We officially request that Prime Minister Kim be excluded from the list of subjects in public opinion polls related to the Seoul mayoral election." It further explained, "Prime Minister Kim is currently focusing on major state affairs such as people’s livelihoods, the economy, and public safety," and added, "At this time, it is deemed inappropriate for the Prime Minister to be included in Seoul mayoral election polls."

Prime Minister Kim had been mentioned as a potential candidate for the next Seoul mayoral race ahead of the nationwide local elections scheduled for June next year. As a result, he was naturally included in opinion polls and was considered a rival to the current Seoul Mayor, Oh Sehoon. The Prime Minister’s Office has now taken steps to address this. Prime Minister Kim himself has also appeared on YouTube and other platforms to deny the possibility of running for Seoul mayor.

However, there are growing expectations within the Yeouido political sphere that Prime Minister Kim may run for the leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea. His recent active outreach to various regions, including the Honam area, has further fueled such speculation. Within the ruling party, the next Democratic Party convention is already being referred to as the "Myungcheong Battle," grouping Prime Minister Kim with the current party leader, Jeong Cheongrae. Prime Minister Kim has not yet made any official statement regarding his intention to run for party leader.