Oh Sehoon Launches First Campaign Rally: "This Election Is a Referendum on Real Estate Failures"

On the First Day of Official Campaigning, Oh Visits Gangbuk First
Former Lawmaker Yoo Seungmin, a "Reformist Conservative," Joins Oh on the Campaign Trail

Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor, raised his voice at the first campaign rally, stating, "This election is a referendum on the government's failure in real estate policy."

On the first official day of election campaigning on the 21st, Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party's Seoul mayoral candidate, is delivering a kickoff message to the citizens in the Gangbuk district of Seoul alongside former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min. Photo by Yonhap News

On the morning of May 21, the official start of the 9th nationwide local elections campaign, Oh visited Samyang-dong, Gangbuk, Seoul, and declared, "This election is about urging President Lee Jaemyung to recognize the seriousness of the burden caused by rising housing costs for ordinary people and to shift to a new policy direction." Samyang-dong is the neighborhood where Oh spent his childhood.

Wearing a red jumper and red cap, Oh stated, "These days, just thinking about housing gives people a headache. For homeowners, it’s stressful in their own way, and for those renting on jeonse or monthly contracts, the thought of moving is overwhelming. It’s almost impossible to find jeonse properties, and with monthly rentals, renewing at the same rate is out of the question," adding, "Yet, neither the president nor Jung Wonoh, the Democratic Party's Seoul mayoral candidate, has offered any explanation or apology. Make sure these people are given a real wake-up call this time."

Addressing local residents, Oh continued, "Do you remember that over the past five years, redevelopment projects have started in 32 locations here in Gangbuk? The redevelopment projects that I launched with all my heart are finally gaining real momentum. I believe that as long as I protect Seoul, these 32 projects can continue to move forward at a rapid pace."

At the rally, former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, known as a "reformist conservative," joined Oh to show his support. Yoo remarked, "Citizens will choose their candidate after seeing them, and in that sense, I believe Oh is far more prepared, experienced, and competent than his Democratic Party rival."

Yoo added, "Even just looking at the real estate issue, I feel that a huge storm is coming after the election. We need a candidate who can provide checks and balances and truly work for the housing welfare of Seoul citizens."

Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate for Seoul mayor, is shaking hands with campaign workers at the first rally held at Samyang Intersection in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, on the first day of official campaign activities, the 21st. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Oh then moved on to Inwang Market in Hongje-dong, Seodaemun, to continue his campaign. There, he criticized, "Are you aware that they're planning to raise property taxes for homeowners? They've already warned that capital gains taxes will go up when you sell your home--what are people supposed to do? If you own a home, it’s a worry; if you don’t, it’s a worry; and if you try to sell, the tax burden is crushing. The president's real estate policy gets a zero."

Oh also pointed out that his opponent, Jung, is so-called "Myeong-pick" (personally selected by the president), saying, "Instead of relying on the president’s name, shouldn’t he be trying to win votes with his own abilities? Is he really qualified to lead a city of 10 million? At the very least, someone running for Seoul mayor should be able to confidently say, 'This is the kind of Seoul I will build,' with their own vision and goals."

On this day, Oh plans to tour across Seoul in a "whirlwind" route, covering Gangbuk-gu, Seodaemun-gu, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Guro-gu, Seongbuk-gu, Dongdaemun-gu, Jongno-gu, and Gangnam-gu.

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