Seoul mayor positioning among conservatives to take up Yoon's baton

After the impeachment of the Korean president, the People Power Party is preparing to choose its new candidate for the elections on 3 June. The mayor of the capital, Oh Se-hoon, could be the favourite in the primaries, which will be held on 3 May. Oh is banking on his administrative experience and a conservative agenda. Meanwhile, the opposition has formalised the candidacy of Lee Jae-myung, currently leading in the polls.

Seoul (AsiaNews) - After the removal from office of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, impeached by Parliament for imposing martial law, the race has begun within the ruling People's Party (PPP) to find a new presidential candidate. The conservative political organisation will choose its candidate in a primary election scheduled for 3 May, exactly one month before the elections, which are planned for 3 June. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, formally announced his candidacy yesterday.

Lee, 61, already Yoon's opponent in the 2022 presidential elections, has stated that he wants to commit himself to resolving economic inequalities, which, in his opinion, are one of the main sources of social conflict, which then degenerated into the political turmoil of recent months. Despite being involved in a series of criminal proceedings, the opposition leader is currently the favourite candidate of over 30% of the population. This week's opinion polls also showed Lee with a lead of over 50% over all the conservative candidates running for the presidential office.

Within the PPP, however, a candidate is emerging who has a much better chance of taking over from Yoon Suk-yeol: Oh Se-hoon, the current mayor of Seoul, should formalise his participation in the elections in the next few days. According to the Yonhap press agency, Oh intends to present his candidacy in a ‘symbolic place’ linked to the policies in favour of the less well-off that the mayor has implemented in the capital.

Oh is serving his fourth term as mayor of Seoul, having held the office from 2006 to 2011 and then again from 2021. In recent years he has promoted initiatives aimed at transforming Seoul into a tourist and commercial hub, exploiting the popularity of Korean culture. The project is called Seoul Vision 2030, a plan to make Seoul one of the five most competitive cities in the world, increasing green spaces and the use of new technologies.

However, some of his urban renewal policies had generated controversy. Following the simplification of urban planning regulations to encourage housing construction, Oh was criticised for not adequately addressing housing inequality, particularly in the poorest neighbourhoods.

In 2011, on the other hand, he resigned after proposing a referendum on the distribution of free school meals. His party believed it would be more efficient to give meals only to the poorest children, while progressive forces proposed extending the programme to all pupils. After 10 years, however, Oh has undergone a sort of political rebirth, according to observers, strengthening his position within the PPP.

On the civil rights front, Oh has expressed conservative views, stating that he does not agree with homosexuality and opposing the celebration of the Seoul Queer Culture Festival in the central areas of the capital. In the area of national security, he has expressed his support for South Korea's development of nuclear weapons as a deterrent against North Korean threats. Oh's candidacy is taking place in an already crowded political context. Han Dong-hoon, former leader of the PPP who supported the impeachment of Yoon, announced his candidacy yesterday, joining Oh.

Oh's candidacy is part of an already crowded political context. Han Dong-hoon, former leader of the PPP who supported the impeachment against Yoon, announced his candidacy yesterday, joining Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Moon-soo, former Minister of Labour. Hong Joon-pyo has also resigned as mayor of Daegu to try and climb the party ladder.