Seoul Mayor Signals PPP Bid for June Local Elections, But Did Not File Nomination
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon signaled his intention to run in the June 3 local elections as a member of the ruling People Power Party, but he did not file for party nomination on March 12 after speaking at a briefing in central Seoul. He made the comment after attending a startup support event at The Plaza hotel and said registration could not proceed that day.
Oh used the occasion to press for a personnel overhaul and the early formation of an innovative campaign committee, arguing that action matters more than promises. He said there were few signs of the promised changes taking root and stressed the need for a concrete shift in the party’s approach.
He also pushed back against comments by party leader Jang Dong-hyuk about pausing disciplinary procedures from the central ethics committee and urging restraint on internal disputes, saying that such steps do not amount to a real policy shift.
The Seoul mayor urged the party to pursue both personnel renewal and an innovation-focused campaign organization as the most viable path for changing direction, noting that he had previously told Jang these steps were essential, but there had been little movement toward them.
Oh rejected speculation that he might run as an independent or drop out to challenge for party leadership, stating clearly that he would participate in the election. He argued that the metropolitan-scale race requires clear conditions from the party leadership.
The mayor said he had lunch with Song Eon-seok, the party’s floor leader, and told the leadership that the reform plan would require an innovation campaign committee led by a credible chair and two to three symbolic figures to advance the ethics pledge and related reforms.
As expected, Jang did not respond to questions about the dispute, and analysts expect the standoff to continue for now. Two PPP candidates are already in the Seoul mayor nomination race—Yoon Hee-sook and Lee Sang-gyu—making the leadership’s stance toward Oh a potentially pivotal factor.
National polls paint a challenging backdrop for the ruling party: the opposition Democratic Party sits around 43%, while the PPP hovers near 17%, according to a national survey conducted March 9–11. The balance of party support may influence how aggressively the PPP backs Oh’s bid and whether it pursues changes to its leadership lineup before the local vote.
For U.S. readers, the episode matters beyond Seoul because the city is a major technology and business hub whose policy choices affect supply chains, urban development, and the broader South Korea-U.S. alliance. Internal party dynamics that shape Seoul’s governance could influence national policy priorities, investment climate, and the execution of major infrastructure and tech initiatives tied to American interests.