Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon files People Power Party nomination bid, pledges reform
Oh Se-hoon, the mayor of Seoul, formally applied for the conservative People Power Party’s (PPP) nomination to run again in the capital’s mayoral race on the party’s final registration deadline after two extensions and months of signaling a reform push within the party. He had postponed filing while urging changes in the party’s leadership and election apparatus, and on the last day he registered to compete.
At a briefing at Seoul City Hall, Oh announced his candidacy and cited a commitment to “responsibility to Seoul citizens and a spirit of party sacrifice.” He framed his bid as the start of a broader conservative renewal, saying the party must innovate to win and that Seoul would be the launching point for reform that could ripple through the national party organization.
Earlier that day, Oh visited a housing site in Yeongdeungpo District near Shingil Station to review a long-term rental housing project. Afterward, he proposed a housing activation policy that would raise the standard floor-area ratio (a limit on building bulk relative to land area) to a maximum of 30%, arguing the change would help accelerate housing supply in the city.
Oh used the moment to criticize PPP leadership, accusing it of lacking a convincing plan for change and describing the current leadership as failing to properly mobilize candidates and party members on the front lines. He said Seoul should be the starting point for a process to “rebuild” the party and re-energize its broader political agenda.
In response, PPP officials signaled a cautious approach to the intra-party clash. A party spokesperson said Oh’s innovations and campaign needs were consistent with winning elections, suggesting no immediate confrontation with party leadership. The head of the party’s nomination committee welcomed Oh’s decision as a meaningful step for Seoul’s future and the party’s prospects ahead of nationwide elections.
Oh’s run will likely proceed through an intra-party primary to secure the PPP nomination for Seoul mayor. Other figures who have already filed or declared interest include former lawmaker Yoo Hee-sook, Lee Sang-gyu, head of the party’s Seongbuk electoral district, Lee Seung-hyeon, vice president of the Korea International Trade Association, and Park Soo-min, an incumbent lawmaker.
Separately, the PPP’s national nomination plan for other major cities and provinces was also disclosed. The party decided not to nominate Busan’s mayor as a single candidate; instead, Busan will hold a primary between current Mayor Park Hyung-jun and opposition-friendly figure Jo Jin-woo. For provincial posts, the party named current governors Kim Jin-tae in Gangwon Province, Park Wan-soo in South Gyeongsang Province, and current Ulsan Mayor Kim Doo-kyum as the Ulsan candidate should they win the nomination.
Why this matters beyond Korea: Seoul’s mayoral race is a key signal of the PPP’s direction ahead of nationwide elections and the party’s broader reform agenda. A policy emphasis on expanding housing supply could affect urban development, infrastructure spending, and real estate markets in one of Asia’s largest urban economies. For U.S. readers, developments in Seoul’s leadership and Korea’s internal political dynamics can influence the pace of regulatory reform, foreign investment climate, and the reliability of the U.S.-Korea strategic and economic alliance, including technology supply chains tied to Korean manufacturers and urban policy that shapes the business environment for multinational firms operating in Korea.