PPP set to hold open primary for Seoul mayor ahead of June local elections
The People Power Party’s (PPP) leader Jang Dong-hyuk said on March 17 that Seoul’s mayoral race will move into a full-fledged primary after Oh Se-hoon announced his intention to run in the June 3 local elections.
Jang spoke at a Mapo district bookstore cafe during a “mom-friendly” field briefing on infertility and child care. He told reporters he had heard Oh and Park Su-min plan to apply for nomination and urged them to conduct a vigorous primary, highlighting Seoul as a contest the party intends to contest openly.
The remarks are notable because, unlike in several other regions where the PPP has handed incumbents uncontested nominations, the party plans to hold a competitive primary in Seoul for the capital’s top municipal post.
On Oh Se-hoon’s request for an “innovative election campaign committee,” Jang said that normally campaign committees are launched after nominations are finalized, but the party will form the best possible team regardless of what it’s called.
The PPP’s nomination management committee has already decided to finalize the metropolitan mayoral candidates by April 16. So far, six PPP-affiliated figures have expressed interest or filed for Seoul mayor, including Oh Se-hoon, Park Su-min, and former lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook.
Jang declined to elaborate on Oh’s criticism that he has not severed ties with far-right YouTubers, saying he viewed the remarks as part of the effort to win the local elections and pledging ongoing party reform to improve performance.
Earlier in the day, Jang also attended a joint launch for the PPP’s youth wings at the National Assembly, where he asserted that the path pursued by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and the Democratic Party would undermine Korea’s future and constitutional order, predicting their failure.
At the same event, Jang presented an deputy chairman’s certificate to Choi Woo-sung, a member of the party’s so-called “Chantan” faction, known for supporting impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol.
The day’s events illustrate ongoing tensions and strategic maneuvering within the PPP as it gears up for the June local elections, with Seoul as a high-stakes test of the party’s leadership and reform agenda.
Why this matters beyond Korea: Seoul’s mayor oversees Korea’s largest city, a major hub for technology firms and global supply chains. The capital’s policy choices on housing, childcare, urban innovation, and public services can influence business investment, digital infrastructure, and national policy direction. Because Seoul shapes Korea’s economic and security posture and its collaboration with the United States on technology, defense, and trade, the outcome of the Seoul race could have ripple effects on U.S.-Korea relations, regional stability, and markets.