DPK launches early bid to regain Seoul mayoral seat

President Lee Jae Myung greets Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon before the start of a meeting with provincial governors and mayors at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, Aug. 1. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seok

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is mounting an early campaign to recapture the Seoul mayoral office in next June’s local elections, viewing the capital as a key litmus test for the Lee Jae Myung administration at the ballot box.

DPK lawmakers Park Ju-min and Seo Young-kyo have already declared their bids, while senior party member Jeon Hyun-heui is widely expected to join the race soon.

The party has already gone on the offensive against incumbent Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is seeking a fifth term.

Park, chair of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, said that Seoul “needs a mayor who works for ordinary citizens, not for political self-interest.” Seo accused Oh’s Han River bus project of being “a vanity project that wasted taxpayer money.”

He was referring to the mayor’s Seoul river ferry project, which was suspended just 10 days after its launch due to a series of mechanical failures.

Jeon also criticized Oh’s leadership, describing the project as “a symbol of showmanship and failed governance.”

Other potential contenders include Reps. Park Hong-keun and Kim Young-bae, former lawmakers Park Yong-jin and Hong Ihk-pyo and Seongdong District Chief Jung Won-oh.

Within the party, there is growing speculation over whether high-profile figures such as Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik could be drafted as stronger challengers to Oh.

Apartment complexes in Yeongtong District, Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. Yonhap

The DPK plans to finalize its nomination rules and primary schedule once the ongoing parliamentary audit concludes later this month. Party officials say the timeline reflects a growing sense of urgency, given that Seoul remains the symbolic heart of national politics and a bellwether for voter sentiment in the capital region.

Still, concerns persist that the party’s hardline image under Chairman Jung Chung-rae could alienate centrist voters. According to Gallup Korea, the DPK’s approval rating in Seoul dropped from 43 percent in July to 35 percent in late September, while Lee’s job approval rating remained above 50 percent.

Some lawmakers warn that “if the party loses Seoul, responsibility will inevitably fall on the leadership.”

Jung has defended his uncompromising stance as part of the administration’s broader reform drive, but critics within the party say the confrontational tone risks overshadowing policy messaging ahead of the elections.

Adding to the uncertainty, the government is set to unveil a new package of measures this week in an attempt to stabilize house prices in Seoul and the surrounding area.

While the ruling party hopes that the announcement will ease people’s worries about housing costs, experts say that stricter regulations could make things even harder for renters and first-time buyers.

Political commentator Park Sang-byung noted that Seoul voters are particularly sensitive to housing issues and warned that if the government appears swayed by market turbulence, its credibility could suffer ahead of next year's election.

A recent poll by Flower Research, a Seoul-based polling agency — released on Tuesday — showed a virtual dead heat between the two parties, with 49.2 percent of respondents supporting opposition candidates “to check the government” and 47.3 percent backing the ruling party contenders.

With just eight months until election day, both the DPK and the main opposition People Power Party are sharpening their focus on Seoul. Within the DPK, there is a prevailing belief that without winning the capital, a nationwide victory would be incomplete.

Details of the poll’s methodology and results are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.