Oh Sehoon: "Democratic Party Mayoral Contenders Have Limits... Jeong Wono Stands Out"

Press Conference During Asia Business Trip on the 7th
"Democratic Party Mayoral Candidates Have Their Limits"
On Primary Rules: "Time to Pay More Attention to Public Opinion"
Firm Denial of Allegations of Preferential Treatment for Heerim

Oh Sehoon, the Seoul Mayor who is expected to run for a fifth term, assessed that the Democratic Party of Korea's mayoral candidates lack an understanding of city administration. However, he noted that among the potential candidates, Jung Wonoh, the mayor of Seongdong District, "stands out from the others." Regarding the ongoing heated debate within the People Power Party over the primary rules, he commented that a 50% party member vote and 50% public opinion ratio is appropriate, considering the national context.

At a press conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the 7th, Mayor Oh criticized the Democratic Party for continuing to attack the Han River Bus project. He said, "The Democratic Party candidates fail to understand the positive impact the Han River Bus project could have on Seoul's city brand. They are overly fixated on potential early-stage trial and error and are solely focused on criticism. Observing their perspective, I feel there are clear limitations."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is answering questions at the "Asia Business Trip Press Conference" held in Kuala Lumpur on the evening of the 7th. Provided by Seoul City

However, Mayor Oh expressed a different view regarding Mayor Jung. He said, "Fortunately, among the Democratic Party candidates, Mayor Jung-who has started to stand out in opinion polls-has sometimes expressed a different perspective."

He continued, "I saw that Mayor Jung mentioned, 'The Han River Bus project is likely to succeed over time anyway. Rather than focusing too much on early-stage trial and error, we should wait and see.' As I have long appreciated his work capabilities, he is also showing a differentiated perspective from other candidates in terms of insight." With both President Lee Jaemyung’s public praise and now a positive assessment from a strong opposition candidate like Mayor Oh, Jung's weight as a Seoul mayoral candidate appears to be growing.

On Primary Rules: "As the Election Approaches, We Need to Pay Attention to Public Opinion"

Regarding the primary rules, which have become a hot topic within the People Power Party, Mayor Oh supported maintaining the '50% party member' rule. The party's local election planning committee had previously suggested raising the proportion of party member votes in next year's local election primaries from 50% to 70%. Lawmakers representing metropolitan constituencies, where centrist public opinion is crucial, have voiced opposition to this proposal.

On this, Mayor Oh said, "While the party usually emphasizes the will of its members, as the election approaches, the likelihood of winning voters’ support increases when the party shows that it is more attentive and even fearful of public opinion. The message that should come from the party is that it is much more concerned about the general electorate and is trying harder to serve them. However, the party is currently moving in the opposite direction, placing more importance on the will of its members, which is concerning."

He also pointed out a remark by Assemblywoman Na Kyungwon, head of the planning committee, who said, "If I decide to run, I will accept the existing 50-50 rule in any primary I participate in." Mayor Oh described this as "a statement that is difficult for a public party to make and not easy for the public to understand." He added, "I even joked that maybe I should suggest the opposite: even if it puts me at a disadvantage, I would accept a 70-30 split, so let's just keep it 50-50 nationwide. The fact that I prefaced it as a joke shows how frustrated I was."

Regarding reports that Heerim Architects & Planners, which has faced allegations of favoritism during the Yoon Sukyeol administration, won hundreds of billions of won in private contracts for the Saeun District redevelopment, Mayor Oh drew a clear line. He emphasized that when Heerim was selected in 2023 for the Apgujeong redevelopment project with a design proposal that violated city guidelines, the city intervened to cancel the selection and initiated legal action. He refuted the allegations by stating, "The reports made it seem as if I had a close relationship with Heerim, but the Seoul Metropolitan Government was not involved at all. Holding a design competition and selecting the company is the responsibility of SH Corporation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.