Korea’s youngest-ever local election candidate to debut as idol in Japan
Oh Shin-haeng’s campaign poster for the eighth nationwide local elections in 2022 / Yonhap
A young Korean man who once sought to become the country’s youngest local council member is now preparing to debut as an idol in Japan.
Oh Shin-haeng, who drew national attention four years ago when he ran in the local elections as an independent candidate at age 18, finished fourth in the Japanese audition show “Produce 101 Japan Shinsekai” on June 9. The result earned him a place in the program’s final group and a chance to begin a new career as a Japanese idol.
In 2022, Oh became the youngest candidate in Korean history to run for elected office after a revision to the Public Official Election Act lowered the minimum age for candidates from 25 to 18. The change applied to elections for the National Assembly, heads of local governments and local councils.
Then 18, Oh ran for a seat representing Muan County Council’s second electoral district in South Jeolla Province in the first local elections held under the revised law. However, he finished last with 990 votes, or 5.88 percent of the vote. All four seats in the district went to candidates from the Democratic Party of Korea.
Oh Shin-haeng, who is set to debut as a member of Japanese boy group KO1KEYZ, appeared in the audition program “Produce 101 Japan Shinsekai.” Captured from Produce 101 Japan Instragram
Four years later, however, the votes finally went Oh’s way.
He was among the final 12 contestants on the Japanese audition program and is expected to debut under the boy group KO1KEYZ. Japanese entertainment media have already shown considerable interest in his unusual resume, particularly his distinction as Korea’s youngest-ever electoral candidate.
Oh’s father, Oh Won-ok, told Yonhap News Agency by phone that he hoped his son would “do his best in the life he has chosen and take responsibility for it.”
“I also hope he grows into someone who knows how to look out for those around him as a member of society,” he said.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.