Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon registered for the People Power Party's nomination for Seoul mayor ahead of the June 3 local elections and began his full-fledged campaign. Oh, who had delayed applying for the nomination while calling for party reform and a recalibration of its line, has now made his run official. If elected in this race, Oh would set a record as the "five-term Seoul mayor."
On the afternoon of the 17th, Mayor Oh held a news conference in the briefing room at Seoul City Hall and said, "Today, with a sense of responsibility to the citizens of Seoul and the spirit of putting the party before oneself, I am registering for the nomination." He added, "Considering the support and expectations from the public and the conservative camp, I feel a heavy sense of responsibility," and "I will never take that trust lightly." He also said, "I will approach this election with the mindset of a frontline commander," emphasizing, "I will win without fail."
At the news conference, criticism of the party leadership also continued. Aiming at party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, Oh said, "If the reform resolution adopted at the caucus is to be more than a declaration, it must be followed by action," adding, "But the leadership has failed to show the will to change in a way the public can accept." He went on, "They are dragging the party in the wrong direction while failing to straighten out ties with far-right YouTubers."
He said, "The leadership's current posture is no different from driving candidates and party members fighting on the front lines into a death trap," criticizing it as "a situation that is not just incompetent but irresponsible." He also pointed out, "The conservative reform DNA that has remade itself in every crisis is nowhere to be seen in the party now," and "Even the tradition of placing the Constitution as the highest value is being shaken."
Oh also laid out a plan to make Seoul the starting point for change in this local election. He said, "Innovation and change are essential to win," and "If the leadership will not change, we will start change from Seoul." He continued, "We will make Seoul the starting point of innovation to rebuild the conservative movement," adding, "We will form an innovative election task force on par with an emergency response committee."
He also said, "I will follow only the principles of 'Seoul in step together' and 'a competitive Seoul' without reading anyone's face," adding, "I will look in the direction of the citizens, not the direction of power." He added, "We will win by the choice of citizens, not the choice of the president, and fulfill the mission given to us.".