Our party's approval rating is clearly heavily tilted when compared with the Democratic Party's approval rating. I agonized over it a lot until the final moment.
Oh Se-hoon, the Seoul mayor, on the afternoon of the 17th in the briefing room at Seoul City Hall, explained the deliberation process that led to his decision to register as the People Power Party's candidate for Seoul mayor at a news conference titled "Registration of the People Power Party's Seoul mayoral candidate."
Oh said, If you play soccer on a tilted field, it is indeed very disadvantageous, and added, I will do my best.
Regarding the fact that his demands for party reform were not reflected, he said, It is as if I was coldly rejected by the party. Oh added, There is no choice but for the candidate to get out there and work harder, and That is why I just said it is like the mindset of a commander heading into battle.
The following is the full text of Mayor Oh Se-hoon's news conference that day.
Today, with a sense of responsibility to the citizens of Seoul and the spirit of putting the party before self, I am registering as the People Power Party's candidate for Seoul mayor.
Thinking of the love and support the public and the conservative camp have given me, I feel an indescribable sense of responsibility. I could not possibly take those expectations and trust lightly.
I made it clear that if the resolution of the general meeting of lawmakers is not to remain a mere declaration, corresponding action must necessarily follow.
But regrettably, Representative Jang Dong-hyeok and the leadership have not shown a will to change that the public can accept. Instead, they are dragging the party in the wrong direction, unable even to cut ties with far-right YouTubers.
The leadership's posture now is no different from driving countless candidates and party members, who must fight on the front lines, into a dead end. It is not just incompetence but irresponsibility.
The conservative reform DNA that has changed itself in every crisis is not visible in our party now. Even our party's proud tradition of placing the Constitution as the highest value is being shaken. This is neither conservative nor just.
With the heart of a frontline commander, I step onto this battlefield. To win this war, I will fulfill every responsibility given to me.
If the Jang Dong-hyeok leadership gives up on reform and refuses to change on its own, I will start the change from Seoul. I will make Seoul the starting point of innovation. I will raise conservatism again from Seoul. I will open the path from Seoul where common sense wins and people's livelihoods come first.
To win an election, reform and change must follow. I am registering as a candidate with the resolve to drive party reform through changes that begin in Seoul and to push through a reform-minded election committee on par with an emergency response committee.
I will not read anyone's face; I will hold only the banners of "Seoul in step together" and "a competitive Seoul." I will follow the direction of the citizens, not the direction of power. I will look only to the citizens' standards, not the whims of power. I will win by the "people's choice," not the "president's choice," block Park Won-soon season 2, and fulfill to the end the mission given to me.
Q. You conveyed demands to the party in the morning. What were they?
I do not think it is desirable to repeat here in detail what was discussed as we head into nominations. Much of it is already known through many reports. There were no additional requests.
I judge that this campaign committee must faithfully reflect the party line changes decided at the previous general meeting of lawmakers for us to even lay the minimal groundwork to contest the election, especially in the capital region. I fully presented my views on that point, but there was no corresponding response.
Q. The party's approval rating is at the bottom. Do you see a chance of victory?
When you compare our party's approval rating to the Democratic Party, it is indeed a very tilted field. If you play soccer on a very tilted field, it is a fact that you are at a great disadvantage. But I will do my best.
The demands for party reform were an effort to reduce the angle of the field even a little. But it is as if the party coldly rejected them. In that case, there is nothing to do but for the candidate to run harder. That is why I said it is like "the mindset of a commander heading into battle."