Seoul Mayor Withholds Nomination, Calls for Reform

Seoul Mayor’s Nomination Delay Sparks Party Crisis

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, a member of the People Power Party, did not submit his nomination application for the metropolitan-level candidate position by the deadline on the 8th. His decision to delay the submission came with a strong statement: “The party’s course must be normalized first.” This move marked a significant shift in the political landscape, as it highlighted the growing tensions within the party.

Oh had been pushing for changes within the party and issued an ultimatum to the leadership, leaving all possibilities open. In response, the People Power Party decided to hold an emergency general meeting of lawmakers on the 9th to address the party’s direction. The mayor explained that the preliminary task of normalizing the party’s course needed to be addressed before any nominations could proceed. He expressed hope for a response from the party leadership and lawmakers, but the deadline extension offered by the nomination management committee was not accepted.

A key party official suggested that there might be a way to extend the period and accept additional applications. However, this did not seem to sway Oh’s stance. On the 7th, he posted a message titled “Final Appeal” on Facebook, urging party lawmakers to gather and have a fierce, conclusive debate about the party’s path to victory. He warned that the current state of the primary process would only exacerbate ideological conflicts, leading to a disastrous downfall.

Oh’s demands included an immediate severance of ties with the “Yoon Again” faction. His team indicated that if the party leadership did not take this step, they were not ruling out any possibilities, including significant decisions. This tension reflects a broader struggle within the party over its direction and leadership.

Potential Candidates and Regional Dynamics

Several potential candidates for the Seoul Mayor position announced their intentions not to run. These included Na Kyung-won, Ahn Cheol-soo, and Shin Dong-wook. Meanwhile, applicants for the Seoul Mayor candidacy included former Innovation Committee Chair Yoon Hee-sook, Seoul Seongbuk-gu Party Committee Chair Lee Sang-gyu, and Inpack Korea CEO Lee Seung-hyun, among others.

For the Busan Mayor position, incumbent Mayor Park Heong-joon and first-term lawmaker Joo Jin-woo (Busan Haeundae Gap) applied as candidates. In the case of the Gyeonggi Province Governor, Supreme Council member Yang Hyang-ja and former Korea Expressway Corporation CEO Ham Jin-gyu applied for nomination.

While only six candidates applied for the metropolitan area (Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon), a total of 15 candidates applied for nomination in the People Power Party’s stronghold regions of Daegu Mayor and Gyeongbuk Governor. For Chungnam Province Governor, no candidates applied, including incumbent Governor Kim Tae-heum. The nomination management committee stated that the lack of applicants was due to unresolved issues regarding integration with Daejeon, suggesting that additional applications may be considered later.

Grassroots Concerns and Internal Party Struggles

In the People Power Party lawmakers’ group chatroom, concerns are pouring in that “the grassroots public sentiment is not normal.” Lawmaker Kim Mi-ae (Busan Haeundae Eu) conveyed that “even wearing red clothes is causing inconvenience to voters.” Even Lawmaker Kim Gi-hyeon (Ulsan Nam-eul), who had refrained from criticizing the leadership, noted that “the atmosphere felt on the ground has noticeably worsened.”

Former Chungju Mayor Jo Gil-hyeong, who declared his candidacy for Chungbuk Province Governor, also wrote on Facebook, questioning whether the central party should be a burden to the candidates. As the sense of crisis regarding the local elections spreads, Floor Leader Song Eon-seog decided to hold an emergency general meeting of lawmakers on the afternoon of the 9th to discuss changes to the party’s course.

On this day, Floor Leader Song urged lawmakers to attend the meeting, stating, “Now is the time when active opinions are needed to win the election.” Among reform-oriented lawmakers, there are talks that “the emergency general meeting should adopt the party’s stance of severing ties with former President Yoon Suk-yeol.”

From Leader Jang’s side, however, there is a contrary current being detected, with calls to “unite tightly around the leader.” On the 7th, Chief Spokesperson Park Sung-hoon stated, “I do not believe the ‘conclusive debate’ demanded by Mayor Oh will help in winning the election.” Supreme Council member Kim Min-soo, a party loyalist, also went on the offensive, saying, “Mayor Oh should confront President Lee Jae Myung, not Leader Jang.”

A People Power Party official said, “I understand that opinions are divided within the leadership regarding the party’s course,” and added, “The upcoming general meeting will be a turning point in determining whether to sever ties with Yoon (絶尹) or not.”