Oh Se-hoon: "Queer Festival Is Not for the Mayor to Decide... Ahn Cheol-soo and Geum Tae-seop's Debate Lacks Energy"

"Agreement on Prohibition of Discrimination Against Sexual Minorities in Broad Principles"

Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayoral primary, is speaking at the 'The Power to Change Seoul 1st Head-to-Head Debate' held on the 16th at the Baekbeom Kim Koo Memorial Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party's preliminary candidate for Seoul mayor, responded on the 22nd regarding the controversial LGBTQ+ rights festival 'Queer Parade' among opposition mayoral candidates, saying, "It is not a matter for the mayor to decide."

In an interview with YTN Radio's 'Hwang Boseon's Start of the Morning' on the same day, Oh said, "Seoul City has an organization and regulations to decide this. Based on those rules, it is a matter for the review committee to decide."

Earlier, Ahn Cheol-soo, the People's Party's preliminary candidate for Seoul mayor, and independent candidate Geum Tae-seop debated the Queer Parade during a TV debate hosted by Channel A on the 18th.

Regarding this, Oh said, "I think the debate arose because the Queer Festival takes place in Seoul Plaza or near Gwanghwamun Plaza in the city center," adding, "From a broad perspective, this is an issue concerning sexual minorities. The principle is that the human rights of minorities, including sexual minorities, must be protected, and discrimination must not exist. I naturally agree with the fundamental principle that discrimination should be prohibited."

However, Oh avoided giving a direct answer on whether the Queer Parade should be held, stating that the decision should follow the 'Seoul City Plaza Usage Review Committee.'

Oh also evaluated the 'third-party unification debate' between candidates Ahn and Geum as "somewhat lackluster."

He said, "When I thought about the reason, it seems the topics were pre-decided," adding, "Rather than a free-for-all, it felt more like a prearranged duel in a game."

Regarding the outlook for the upcoming Seoul mayoral by-election, he said, "There are two candidates in the Democratic Party camp with a significant gap between them, while the opposition camp has six candidates, so support is inevitably divided," and predicted, "Once our party's candidate and the third-party candidate are decided, the support base will consolidate."

He added, "If unification occurs, support will further consolidate, so by then, I expect the support rates to be almost equal to or slightly favorable compared to the Democratic Party candidate."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.