Oh becomes conservative opposition bloc's single candidate for Seoul mayoral by-election

Oh Se-hoon, of the main conservative opposition People Power Party, who has become the single unified candidate of the country's conservative opposition bloc for the April 7 Seoul mayoral by-election, after winning a public opinion survey against his competitor, Ahn Cheol-soo, of the minor opposition People's Party, speaks to reporters after the announcement of the poll results, at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday.

Ahn loses political ground

By Jung Da-min

Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has become the single unified candidate of the country's conservative opposition bloc for the April 7 Seoul mayoral by-election, after winning a public opinion survey against his rival, Ahn Cheol-soo, of the minor opposition People's Party.

The working-level negotiating teams of the parties announced Tuesday that Oh had emerged victorious the poll conducted the day before, of 3,200 people, about the candidates' suitability and competitiveness to represent the conservative opposition bloc as its Seoul mayoral candidate.

“I would like to thank you, dear Seoul citizens and my fellow party members. I have lived with a heavy heart for the past 10 years,” Oh said during a press conference at the National Assembly after the poll results were announced. Oh was referring to his resignation from the Seoul mayor position in 2011. He served as mayor from 2006 to 2011, but stepped down after his push for a selective free school lunch program was rejected through a residential referendum. His resignation led to the nine-year mayoral administration of Park Won-soon, who killed himself last year amid sexual harassment allegations, resulting in this by-election.

“I will surely accept the strict orders by citizens to judge the (Moon Jae-in) government through unification (of the country's conservative opposition bloc) and open the way for regime change (by helping our party win the 2022 presidential election),” Oh said.

The by-election to select Seoul's next mayor is largely seen as a barometer for the presidential election.

Selection of a single candidate between Oh and Ahn had been delayed from the initially fixed date of March 19, due to differences between the two parties over how to conduct the poll, as both wanted favorable conditions for their respective camps.

Oh's selection as the single candidate of the opposition bloc is likely to give him a boost in his political career, which has not been smooth since his resignation from the mayoral post: he lost two general elections in 2016 and 2020. If he wins the by-election, it could be a chance for him to raise a challenge for the presidency later.

The situation is favorable for Oh, as recent polls showed that the opposition bloc's single candidate, whether it be Ahn or Oh, would beat Park Young-sun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) by great margins.

The increasing approval ratings for the opposition bloc against the ruling bloc are widely seen as the result of the Moon government's real estate policy failure and the speculative land purchase scandal involving employees of the state-run Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH). The alleged land speculation, using classified information by LH employees, has fueled public anger against the Moon government, given that real estate is one of the most sensitive issues here, as housing prices soar out of control.

Ahn Cheol-soo, of the minor opposition People's Party, holds a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday, after the announcement of a public opinion survey in which Oh Se-hoon, of the main opposition People Power Party, won against Ahn to become the single unified candidate of the country's conservative opposition bloc for the April 7 Seoul mayoral by-election. Yonhap

Distinct from Oh's image at the moment, Ahn is currently facing a crisis, as it seems difficult for him to recover after losing his political influence.

After Oh was announced as the single conservative bloc candidate, Ahn held a press conference and said he would try his best to help Oh to win the by-election, but political watchers said the conservative opposition bloc is now facing further tasks on how to solve a possible confrontation among the parties, in forming a coalition for the next presidential election, set to be held in March of next year.