Oh Se-Hoon Meets Lee Myung-bak After Yoo Seung-min, Expanding Centrist and Conservative Outreach

Lee Myung-bak and Oh Se-Hoon Appear Together at Cheonggyecheon
Lee: "Don't look at me, look at Oh Se-Hoon" — Public Endorsement
A Series of Meetings With Conservative Elders and Reformist Centrists

Oh Se-Hoon, the People Power Party’s candidate for Seoul mayor, is accelerating his efforts toward conservative unity by meeting with former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min and, most recently, former President Lee Myung-bak. He is working to strengthen his competitiveness in the main election by broadening his ties with key figures from both the centrist and conservative camps.

On May 15, Oh attended a walking event along Cheonggyecheon in Seoul together with former President Lee. Cheonggyecheon is regarded as one of Lee’s flagship projects from his tenure as Seoul mayor. Oh’s participation is interpreted as an effort to send a message of conservative solidarity while emphasizing economic growth and pragmatic policies.

Throughout the event, former President Lee showed strong support for Oh. Addressing supporters and reporters, Lee said, “Don’t look at me, look at this man (Oh Se-Hoon).” However, tensions rose at one point during the event due to protests from victims of the Yongsan tragedy.

On May 15, Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party's candidate for Seoul mayor, met former President Lee Myung-bak at Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul and walked along the Cheonggyecheon Stream, engaging in a friendly conversation. 2026.05.15 Photo by Yoon Dong-ju

The previous day, Oh also met with former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min. Yoo stated, “It is truly important for the future of our party and of the conservative camp for Oh to safeguard Seoul,” expressing his intention to help with Oh’s election.

In the political community, Oh’s recent series of meetings is being interpreted as a strategy for both conservative unification and broadening his support base. Yoo is seen as a symbolic figure among the reformist and centrist-conservative factions, while Lee is regarded as an influential figure among traditional conservatives, pro-business circles, and the conservative constituency in the Yeongnam region.

Meanwhile, in several recently released polls, Oh is in a close race within the margin of error against Jeong Won-oh, the Democratic Party’s candidate. With official candidacy registration concluding on May 15 and internal strife within the People Power Party expected to subside, it is anticipated that the party’s traditional base will consolidate its support.

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