Chong Won-o, left, the Seoul mayoral candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), shakes hands with incumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party in Seoul, March 19. Yonhap

Seoul’s mayoral race scheduled for June 3 has taken shape, with the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) selecting incumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon as its candidate to compete with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s (DPK) nominee, Chong Won-o.

Oh won the PPP’s primary on Saturday, beating Rep. Park Soo-min and former PPP Rep. Yun Hee-suk.

It was widely expected that Oh would be chosen as the conservative candidate in the crucial Seoul race, as he is one of the few heavyweights remaining in the conservative camp as its approval ratings plummet, driven by the party’s internal feud over whether to distance itself from impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

It is Oh’s fifth bid for the Seoul mayor position. Up to three consecutive terms are allowed for a local government head, and while Oh was elected mayor in 2006 and won a second term in 2010, he resigned following a row over a school lunch policy. He then won a by-election in 2021 for a third term and was reelected in 2022 for a fourth term. If reelected again, he will serve a record fifth term as a local government head.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaks during a press conference after winning the People Power Party's (PPP) primary for the Seoul mayoral election at the headquarters of the PPP in Seoul, Saturday. Yonhap

Since being elected as the youngest-ever Seoul mayor at age 45, Oh has been recognized for achievements including helping the city rank sixth in the Global Power City Index.

During the primary race, Oh announced his slogan for Seoul — “A warmer, healthier Seoul Metropolitan City with a better quality of life” — and laid out five key visions for the city: shared growth, expanded homeownership, equal access to mobility, a healthier city and strengthened tourism under the concept of “tour-nomics,” a combination of “tourism” and “economics.”

Chong Won-o, Seoul mayoral candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and former head of Seoul's Seongdong District, speaks during a press conference held for the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club at the Press Center in central Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Oh’s rival, Chong, is a veteran local administrator who has served three consecutive terms as head of Seongdong District in Seoul since 2014. Chong emerged as a promising politician after President Lee Jae Myung publicly praised his administrative competence.

Source: Korea Times News