Oh Se-hoon Expands Reach, Now Discussing Trump’s Security Policy

Presiding Over Security Forum on the "Second Trump Administration"
Discussing Korean Peninsula Security in the Context of Denuclearization and Nuclear Disarmament
Rising Ruling Party Contender Expands Reach to Diplomacy and Security

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon will discuss the foreign policy and North Korea policy of the second Trump administration with experts. A large number of government emergency planners as well as academic officials are expected to attend, and considering Mayor Oh's recent political moves, a more concrete diplomatic and security stance is likely to be revealed.

According to Seoul City and government sources on the 14th, Mayor Oh will soon hold a security forum on the theme of 'The Impact of the Emergence of the Second Trump Administration on Korean Peninsula Security.' The security forum is a defense and diplomacy-related discussion initiated by Seoul City in 2023, the first among local governments. It is unusual for a local government to hold a security-related forum, but it has been held three times so far based on Mayor Oh's determination that "as a local government responsible for protecting the lives and safety of 10 million citizens, it is inevitable to address security issues."

On the 13th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon attended and spoke at the Investment and Affiliated Institutions Regulation Abolition Report Meeting held at the Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul. 2025.2.13 Photo by Jo Yong-jun

The first forum in November 2023 shared implications of the current security situation through the Israel-Hamas war and reviewed the defense posture of the capital, Seoul. In December, the topic was 'North Korea's Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Threat and Measures to Maintain Seoul's Urban Functions.' At that time, about 150 people, including Lee Jin-woo, Commander of the Capital Defense Command, members of the Seoul Integrated Defense Council, and security policy advisory groups, attended to discuss the impact of an EMP attack on Seoul and countermeasures.

Last year, when the threat of North Korean drones raised the need to reorganize the defense system of the metropolitan area, another security forum was held. At that time, Mayor Oh said, "North Korea's drone attacks are of formidable power, and from Seoul's perspective, just a few dozen kilometers from the armistice line, in-depth preparation is essential," adding, "We will continue to coordinate closely among civilians, government, and military to establish a solid defense posture so that 10 million Seoul citizens can feel secure."

The first security forum of the new year is expected to feature various discussions on the Trump administration's foreign policy and North Korea policy. Topics may include denuclearization, nuclear disarmament, and corresponding Korean Peninsula security policies and metropolitan defense strategies. Mayor Oh has also promoted the 'nuclear armament theory,' stating that "it is time for South Korea to possess nuclear weapons" in response to North Korea's increasingly concrete intention to target South Korea with tactical nuclear weapons. At last month's New Year's meeting, he argued that "nuclear potential (having the infrastructure to manufacture nuclear weapons at any time in an emergency) is the most realistic alternative."

In political circles, this security forum is expected to be interpreted as part of Mayor Oh's presidential ambitions. This comes just two days after successfully concluding a constitutional amendment discussion attended by about 50 members of the People Power Party, nearly half of the party's lawmakers including the party leadership, and he is expanding his scope of action to the difficult fields of diplomacy and security as a local government head.

Moreover, considering that the previous constitutional amendment discussion clearly presented a direction as a future presidential candidate, such as a decentralized constitutional amendment transferring central power to local governments, it is expected that the security forum will also reveal evaluations of the previous administration's U.S. and North Korea policies and Mayor Oh's own diplomatic and security stance. A ruling party official said, "As the Constitutional Court's impeachment trial of President Yoon Seok-youl approaches its final stage, the maneuvers of potential candidates revealing their political colors are becoming more diverse," adding, "The messages sent to the public and political circles will also become clearer."

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