"Considering party leadership? I will protect Seoul"
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon firmly stated, “I have no intention of leaving the People Power Party.”
He made this clear during a New Year’s press conference at City Hall when asked about the possibility of his departure from the party.
Recently, Mayor Oh publicly called for the resignation of party chairman Jang Dong-hyuk, pointing to the so-called “Yoon Again” faction as the root cause of the People Power Party’s declining approval ratings. This has led to speculation that the resulting tension could potentially harm Mayor Oh’s chances in future party nominations, sparking rumors about his possible exit from the party.
Mayor Oh criticized the current state of affairs within the People Power Party, describing it as “purge politics, a form of ousting political opponents from the party, which is a deviation from proper political conduct.”
He elaborated, “It’s not constructive politics to expel those with differing opinions, exclude them from political participation, discipline them, or refer them to ethics committees simply for disagreeing.”
Oh added, “Whether it’s Baek Hyun-jin or Ko Seong-guk, any form of exclusion or expulsion is unacceptable,” reiterating the stance he took when actions were taken against former party leader Han Dong-hoon.
The mayor dismissed speculation that he might be eyeing party leadership.
“How could I possibly run the city while simultaneously pursuing party leadership?” Oh asked rhetorically. “I’ve made it clear that my priority is to protect Seoul.”
Regarding the timing of his official mayoral candidacy announcement, he stated, “It’s premature. There’s no need to rush when the party hasn’t even announced the primary schedule.”
Mayor Oh criticized the People Power Party leadership, asserting, “It’s overly ambitious to try to embrace two incompatible values while conducting an election. We’re now witnessing the consequences in the form of declining approval ratings.”
He emphasized the importance of prioritizing public sentiment. “We must reach out to the broader public and expand our moderate base. I’m certain you understand my point,” Oh urged. He called for wise decision-making, warning, “Losing in the metropolitan elections would likely lead to defeats in the nationwide local elections.”
Reporter Kang Hye-won hyewon0417@viva100.com
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