Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon attended a seminar hosted by the National Assembly Future Innovation Forum on the 24th and delivered a lecture and Q&A for an hour and 30 minutes. The lecture, held under the theme of "the direction Korean politics should take," drew about 20 lawmakers from the People Power Party.

In the lecture and Q&A, Mayor Oh mentioned a request for a meeting with President Lee Jae-myung and ways for the People Power Party to shift to a floor-centered party. But political circles focused on the view that Oh had started his "Yeouido politics."

Oh Se-hoon, the Seoul mayor, gives a special lecture on "Diagnosis of the June 3 local elections and future tasks – restoration and future of conservative values" at the 9th seminar of the Korea Future Innovation Forum at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 24th./Courtesy of News1

By the measure of political heft that ranks him as a potential presidential candidate, Oh has been seen as weak in "Yeouido politics." He has won the Seoul mayoral election five times but has been elected to the National Assembly only once. His time as a lawmaker was in the 16th National Assembly (2000–2004), more than 20 years ago.

Politicians of presidential caliber usually lead their own factions within the party. Yet within the People Power Party, lawmakers who could be called the "pro-Oh Se-hoon faction" are very few. Lawmakers Cho Eun-hee, Kim Jae-seop, and Kwon Young-jin are cited. A party official said, "We're used to terms like pro-Jang Dong-hyeok faction and pro-Han Dong-hoon faction, but we've hardly heard the term pro-Oh Se-hoon faction." Another official said, "If Mayor Oh is to become the next presidential candidate, he should first secure a base of support within the party."

In fact, since the June 3 local elections victory, Oh has been increasing "skinship" with incumbent People Power Party lawmakers. He also recently had lunch with lawmaker Na Kyung-won, with whom he had previously been at odds. His attendance and lecture at the National Assembly seminar amounted to a "group meeting."

Oh's "Yeouido politics" report card is expected to become clear at next year's People Power Party convention. With party leader Jang Dong-hyeok likely to seek another term, blocs supporting Oh and independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon are expected to engage in a power struggle against him. The outcome of this convention will wield considerable influence over the selection of the next presidential candidate. The key is who secures more spots in the party leadership, including the party leader and Supreme Council members.

A political source said, "Both Mayor Oh Se-hoon and lawmaker Han Dong-hoon have weak bases in TK and PK, the mainstream regions of the People Power Party, so who locks in more support before next year's convention could affect their future presidential bids."

Another source said, "Mayor Oh has kept his distance from 'Yeouido politics' and built an administrator image, and he also has the advantage of being unentangled in the Dec. 3 martial-law crisis," but added, "If he fails to shore up 'Yeouido politics,' it could be quite difficult to jump directly from a metropolitan government head to a presidential candidate."

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