Ruling Party Privately Welcomes Oh’s Acquittal, Quietly Hopes Seoul By-Election Is Called Off

[Financial News] Unexpected relief is being felt within the Democratic Party of Korea over the appellate court’s acquittal of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. The party leadership, including leader Kim Min-seok, publicly and strongly criticized the ruling. Internally, however, there is an expectation that the Supreme Court will uphold the acquittal in a ruling expected as early as next January, preventing a Seoul mayoral by-election from taking place. The party is concerned that, with Seoul’s housing prices unstable, victory in the election would be difficult to guarantee, and a defeat could trigger repercussions extending beyond the question of whether Kim retains the party’s confidence to the collapse of the leadership and even the next general election.
According to sources in the ruling camp on the 25th, a mood has taken hold within the party that views Mayor Oh’s acquittal in the second trial as a politically not-unfavorable outcome. A Democratic Party official said, “It will be difficult to get Seoul’s housing prices under control next year, and whoever runs would have a hard time beating Mayor Oh.” It has also been reported that no one, either inside or outside the party, is actively seeking to run in the by-election.
This internal mood contrasts with the leadership’s public statements. Immediately after the ruling on the 23rd, Kim called it “a ruling that is difficult to understand or accept, either legally or by common sense,” and urged the Supreme Court to make a rigorous judgment. Floor leader Han Byung-do also called it “a ruling that does not accord with the common sense and expectations of the people” and demanded that the special counsel appeal immediately.
In particular, Kim’s public pledge to stake his own continued leadership on the results of the by-elections is a source of added pressure within the party. There are concerns that a defeat would spark calls for the leadership to take responsibility and that, if Kim fails to win renewed confidence, the party could switch to an emergency committee system. In that event, the party could not only cede the initiative in national politics to the People Power Party, but also see infighting over a leadership reshuffle continue into preparations for the next general election. If the by-election is called off, Kim would also have room to avoid the political test of seeking renewed confidence, maintain the current leadership and demonstrate results.
The Democratic Party is therefore focusing on securing tangible results on livelihood and economic issues while maintaining the current leadership, with November’s budget session of the National Assembly as a milestone. It plans to prioritize budgetary and legislative efforts focused on people’s livelihoods, including expanding funding for fire services, improving firefighters’ working conditions and stabilizing the real estate market.
Policy implementation is also expected to pick up pace following the recent reshuffle of Cheong Wa Dae’s second-term economic and policy team. Joon-Kyung Ha, the policy chief who has handled real estate and trade policy as the first senior secretary for economic growth, will oversee livelihood policies such as housing stability as well as growth strategies. Mun Sin-hak, a former vice minister of Trade, Industry and Energy and now senior secretary for economic growth, is expected to focus on advancing large-scale national projects, including the three mega-projects. Lim Gwang-hyun, the presidential chief of staff, who helped design President Lee Jae-myung’s tax pledges and stepped up efforts to combat real estate tax evasion while serving as head of the National Tax Service (NTS), has also become central to coordinating policy among the party, government and Cheong Wa Dae.
The Democratic Party also plans to support Cheong Wa Dae’s efforts to deliver results by backing real estate policies and legislation for balanced regional development, including the Special Act on Super-Regional Special Zones. In effect, the strategy is to minimize the political uncertainty caused by a by-election, maintain the current leadership and prepare for the next general election by delivering results on issues affecting people’s livelihoods.

[email protected] Song Ji-won Reporter