Oh Se-hoon hosts dinner for opposition lawmakers who accompanied him to his acquittal ruling: “Let’s join forces for conservative unity and rebuilding”

[Financial News] Acquitted on appeal in the case involving allegations of proxy payments for Myeong Tae-gyun opinion poll fees, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon hosted a dinner at his official residence for conservative opposition lawmakers who had come to court on the day of the ruling to support him. Observers say that, having shed his legal risks with the second-instance ruling, Mayor Oh is poised to step up his political efforts toward conservative unity and rebuilding, using dinner diplomacy as a springboard.
According to political circles and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Mayor Oh shared a dinner lasting about two hours with nine sitting opposition lawmakers that evening at the mayor’s official residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul. The attendees were People Power Party lawmakers Yoon Sang-hyun, Kim Seok-ki, Shin Seong-beom, Lee Man-hee, Kim Mi-ae, Jo Eun-hee, Cho Jung-hoon and Lee Sang-hwi, and Reform Party lawmaker Lee Jun-seok. The dinner was arranged after a second-term lawmaker suggested it on the eve of the ruling, giving Mayor Oh an opportunity to thank the lawmakers who had accompanied him to court.
According to attendees, the dinner was cordial throughout. Mayor Oh stressed the importance of winning over public sentiment in the capital region, saying, “I’ll focus even more on Seoul’s administration and make it a vibrant city with a high quality of life. That vitality will reach residents of the capital region, too.” He went on to underscore the need for conservative unity, saying, “Let’s unite conservatives and do politics well, so we can give hope to the many people who are concerned about the country.”
The lawmakers congratulated Mayor Oh on his acquittal and offered pointed words of encouragement. Lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun said, “We exchanged well-wishes that, now that Mayor Oh has come through this safely, he would become a strong bulwark and shield for the party and the conservative camp—a ‘big tree.’” During the dinner, Lee Jun-seok reportedly lifted the mood by reciting a three-line acrostic based on Oh Se-hoon’s name: “Like a roly-poly toy / Having weathered life’s storms / A warm breeze is blowing.”
Several attendees said there was no specific discussion at the gathering of a future contest for control with independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon and others, or of the party leadership. Yoon drew a distinction, saying, “It wasn’t a gathering to be interpreted as an effort to expand the pro-Oh Se-hoon faction; it was simply an occasion to express gratitude and congratulations.”
Mayor Oh is also scheduled to continue the dinners on the 27th by inviting to his official residence lawmakers who could not attend the dinner on the 26th due to National Assembly audit schedules and other commitments.


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