Oh Se-hoon Says Gap With Jung Won-oh Is His Responsibility, Rules Out Leaving Party

Ahead of the June 3 local elections, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has declared that he will seek another term as Seoul Mayor. However, he did not specify exactly when he will officially announce his candidacy. While he sharply criticized his party, the People Power Party, calling its recent moves a form of “purge politics,” he made clear he is not considering leaving the party, despite some speculation.
At the New Year’s press conference held at Seoul City Hall on the 10th, Oh said, “The poll results are entirely my responsibility,” adding, “They are that way because I have fallen short. I will watch the situation very seriously.”
A hypothetical head-to-head poll between Jung Won-oh, the district head, and Mayor Oh released the same day by pollster JoWon C&I showed Jung at 47.5% and Oh at 33.3%, with Jung leading by 14.2 percentage points.
Oh stated, “My heart is entirely set on defending Seoul,” effectively declaring his intention to run. Addressing speculation that he might run as an independent by leaving the party, or skip the primary and instead seek the party leadership, he drew a line, asking, “Is it even possible to run for party leader while serving as Seoul Mayor?” He then added, “I am not considering leaving the party at all. There will be no surprises.”
Earlier, after the People Power Party expelled former leader Han Dong-hoon, Oh has been at odds with party leader Jang Dong-hyuk. The party is also in the process of disciplinary action against lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin, who serves as head of its Seoul chapter.
Oh argued, “Things are happening that have no precedent in the history of political parties,” and went on, “So-called purge politics, the practice of driving political opponents out of the party, is not politics. It is a deviation from politics.”
He continued, “Whether it is Bae Hyun-jin or Ko Sung-kuk, this is not desirable,” adding, “Everyone has people they like or dislike, but when that takes the form of exclusion and expulsion, I am firmly opposed. That is the position I made clear regarding the measures taken against former leader Han Dong-hoon as well.”
Oh stressed, “I, too, have my own judgments and preferences. However, I state firmly that it is not desirable for the Ethics Committee to suspend someone from duty or expel them from the party.”
chlee1@fnnews.com Reporter Lee Chang-hoon Reporter