Oh Se-hoon, Riding a Rebound, Launches a Bid to Expand to the Political Center... Yoo Seong-min Also Offers Support

\r\n[Financial News] Oh Se-hoon, the PPP candidate for Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor, has stepped up efforts to consolidate conservative support and broaden his appeal to centrist voters in an effort to sustain his recent momentum. Former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min, who is widely seen as one of the opposition bloc's leading centrist figures, has also begun backing Oh. With recent polls narrowing the gap with his rival within the margin of error, Oh appears to be making an aggressive push to keep the momentum going.
\r\nAt a press conference titled "A Public Appeal for the June 3 local elections" held in front of the main building of Seoul Metropolitan Government in Jung District, Seoul, on the 14th, Oh said, "Seoul has always been the compass of public sentiment that determines the direction of South Korea," adding, "The result of this Seoul mayoral election will also be a major turning point that sets the country back on the right course." He went on to argue, "We stand at a crossroads between a real estate hell and an escape from it, between a return to the Park Won-soon season 2 and a leap into the future."
\r\nOh also expressed confidence in recent polling trends. "A month ago, the gap in approval ratings was quite wide, but recent surveys have clearly shown it narrowing to within the margin of error," he said. He added, "Since registering as a preliminary candidate, we have stepped up efforts to highlight our achievements and deliver our message, and as the overhyped image of our opponent has worn off, candidate competitiveness has begun to be reflected in the polls." Still, he stressed, "The overall election landscape remains very unfavorable to our party," and vowed, "I will keep running, and running, with a heart that feels like it is being carved out of bone."
According to a survey commissioned by Penn & Mike from pollster Fair Poll and conducted on the 10th and 11th among 801 men and women aged 18 and older living in Seoul, Oh was chosen by 42.6% as the most suitable candidate for Seoul mayor, while his rival, Candidate Jeong, received 44.7%. The gap between the two was 2.1 percentage points, within the margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. In another survey commissioned by CBS and conducted by the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI) in ARS format on the 12th and 13th among 1,002 Seoul residents aged 18 and older, Jeong and Oh received 44.9% and 39.8%, respectively. The gap between them narrowed sharply to 5.1 percentage points from 10.2 percentage points three weeks earlier.
Political observers say Oh has now moved into a full-scale comeback campaign, putting forward his "stable administrative experience" and "housing supply policy" as his main messages, taking advantage of the recent rebound in support. In particular, he has significantly increased his field visits and the frequency of his message delivery since registering as a candidate, and is widely expected to continue an aggressive public campaign and court centrist voters until the final stretch of the election.
Oh has recently placed the housing issue at the center of his campaign. On this day as well, he sharply criticized the current administration's tax-centered housing policy, saying, "The only fundamental solution is supply, plain and simple." He argued that higher holding and capital gains taxes ultimately push up jeonse and monthly rent prices, increasing the burden on actual homebuyers and tenants.
"The current approach is a short-term, election-minded palliative," Oh said. "It stubbornly sticks to policies whose effects will quickly fade once the election is over."
He also kept up pressure on Jeong by proposing a one-on-one debate. "The top concern for Seoul citizens is the housing issue," Oh said. "We need an all-out, no-holds-barred debate." He added, "We need a proper policy test that also covers transportation, the environment, and urban competitiveness," and urged Jeong, "Stop avoiding it and agree to it."
At the press conference, Oh also signaled his intention to broaden support beyond the conservative camp. "I will make efforts to join hands and unite with all political groups except the Democratic Party of Korea," he said. Oh was scheduled to meet Yoo Seong-min later that day. Regarding the meeting, he said, "I will make efforts to join hands and unite with all political groups except the Democratic Party of Korea," adding, "That is why I decided to meet with senior Yoo Seong-min today."
\r\nSoon after, he met with former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min and shared strategies for expanding into the political center. Yoo said, "It is truly important for Seoul citizens, for our party, and for the future of our conservatives that candidate Oh Se-hoon keep Seoul," adding, "I came here to offer whatever small help I can so that he can win."
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ronia@fnnews.com Lee Seol-young Reporter