Oh Se-hoon and Park Heong-joon Enter the Race Alone, While Jung Won-oh and Jeon Jae-soo Hit the Ground

The race for the Seoul and Busan mayoral elections, a key battleground in the June local elections, has begun in earnest. Oh Se-hoon of the People Power Party, who is seeking reelection as Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor, and Park Heong-joon, the incumbent Mayor of Busan, registered early as preliminary candidates and entered campaign mode. Democratic Party of Korea candidates Jung Won-oh and Jeon Jae-soo are also appealing to voters by visiting local communities.
On the 27th, Oh and Park stepped down from their mayoral posts ahead of schedule and registered as preliminary candidates, officially shifting into campaign mode. Seoul Metropolitan Government and Busan Metropolitan City Government will be run by acting mayors from the deputy mayor level until the next mayors are elected.
Their early entry into the race comes as the political landscape has tilted in favor of Lee Jae Myung, whose approval ratings have been surging. With polls showing a gap beyond the margin of error, they need time to win back voters. There is also growing concern within the People Power Party that Jang Dong-hyuk's leadership could become a drag on the vote, prompting the party to build separate campaign committees.
Oh plans to form an 'Innovation Election Committee' centered on party figures with broad appeal to moderates, and narrow the gap with his rival Jung Won-oh. He appointed Rep. Park Soo-min and former lawmaker Yun Hee-suk, both of whom competed in the primary, as co-chairpersons of the campaign committee. His campaign office has been set up in Daewang Building in Gwancheol-dong, Jongno District. He is also leaving open the possibility of unifying with Kim Jeong-cheol, the candidate from the minor conservative Reform Party (RP).
Park is expected to move closer to former party leader Han Dong-hoon, who is running in the by-election for the Busan Buk-gu-gap constituency, while distancing himself from Jang. The idea is to use Han, the leader of the pro-Han faction and a key reformist force within the party, as a running mate to broaden his support base and challenge Jeon Jae-soo. As in the Seoul race, he is also considering a merger with Jeong I-han of the Reform Party (RP).
Democratic Party of Korea candidates Jung Won-oh and Jeon Jae-soo have been steadily working the field. Their approval ratings are higher than those of the People Power Party candidates in polls, and they are emphasizing criticism of the current administrations while highlighting pledges that they can secure regional development with support from the Lee Jae Myung administration.
Jung and Jeon are also focusing on expanding their appeal, just like Oh and Park. Because a large share of voters remains undecided, they are trying to win over moderate conservative support rather than relying solely on the Lee administration's momentum. In Seoul, Gangnam is a conservative stronghold, and Busan has long been known as a base for conservative parties.
Jung spent the day touring the Gangnam 3 Districts (Gangnam-gu, Seocho-gu, and Songpa-gu) and promised support for redevelopment projects. At the GOTO Mall Underground Shopping Center in Seocho District, he said, "We will provide administrative support so that the daily lives of residents in Gangnam, Seocho, and Songpa are convenient and safe." He added, "In particular, we will do everything we can to ensure that redevelopment projects in Gangnam move forward quickly and safely."
Jeon, who is set to resign from his seat in the Busan Buk-gu-gap constituency on the 29th to run in the Busan mayoral election, visited Buk District to express his gratitude. On the same day, he toured the Gupo Market area and recalled his defeats in the district chief and parliamentary elections, saying, "The people who held my hand until the very end through those difficult 10 years were you, who put a canned coffee in my pocket while I was walking in the rain in Gupo." He added, "Just as you lifted Jeon Jae-soo back up, I will lift you up again. Jeon Jae-soo will return before you as a source of pride for Buk District residents."
uknow@fnnews.com Kim Yun-ho, Lee Hae-ram Reporter