Oh Se-hoon Enters Election Race in Earnest... "Will Make Seoul a Special City of Quality of Life"

Oh Se-hoon, the Mayor of Seoul, will step down from his position on the afternoon of the 27th to run in the June 3 local elections. He has decided that joining the race quickly is more important than taking advantage of the benefits of being the incumbent mayor. Through this election, Mayor Oh plans to emphasize Seoul as a "Special City of Higher Quality of Life: Healthier and Warmer."

On the morning of the same day, Mayor Oh visited the site of a "Seoul-Type Senior Housing" project in Jongam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. This was his last official schedule before his preliminary registration with the election commission, where he personally announced plans to supply senior housing for the elderly.

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At the site, Mayor Oh stated, "Our aim goes beyond simply supplying housing; it is to establish a living infrastructure that allows seniors to continue living comfortably and with dignity." He continued, "I will make sure to realize Seoul as a 'Special City of Quality of Life,' a city where growing old is something to look forward to, not to fear, and where the completion of a dignified life, not its end, can be found in old age."

Once Mayor Oh completes his preliminary registration with the election commission, the city will switch to an acting mayor system. When an incumbent local government head registers as a preliminary candidate, the mayor's official duties are suspended. Although it was initially expected that Mayor Oh would leverage the advantages of being the current mayor, an internal decision that he needed to join the race quickly and deliver a clear message became a decisive factor.

Having distanced himself from Jang Dong-hyuk, the leader of the People Power Party, Mayor Oh will effectively run his campaign independently. Previously, he appointed Assemblywoman Park Sumin and former Assemblywoman Yoon Heesook, who were his rivals in the party primary, as co-chairs of his campaign committee. His strategy is to form a "centrist expansion campaign committee" focused on figures from the Seoul metropolitan area.

The campaign office will be set up in Daewang Building, Gwancheol-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Mayor Oh's team explained, "Choosing a campaign office in an area symbolizing the urgent need for redevelopment in the old city center reflects the commitment to balanced urban development and the revitalization of Jongno and other old town areas." They added, "It also symbolizes Mayor Oh's original intention to start from the perspective of ordinary citizens."

Mayor Oh's camp stated that while the 8th popularly elected Seoul administration focused on enhancing urban competitiveness, the new campaign will raise the slogan "Special City of Higher Quality of Life: Healthier and Warmer," aiming to improve the quality of life for Seoul citizens. The campaign plans to highlight youth participation at the forefront of its activities.

The key political aides close to Mayor Oh have already entered the campaign. Special advisors such as Lee Jonghyun (Public Affairs), Park Changu (Political Affairs), Park Hyungsoo (Policy), and Lee Jihyun (Planning) have all resigned in succession to prepare for the election. Earlier this month, Kim Inkyu (Political Secretary), Kim Soyang (Media Content Advisor), Yoon Jujin (Chief Message Advisor), and Lee Gunhee (Chief of Digital Video) submitted their resignations.

The previous day, Kim Byungmin, Seoul's Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs, also expressed his intention to join the campaign. The Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs is a vice-minister level position responsible for communication and coordination across the National Assembly, the media, the Seoul Metropolitan Council, as well as labor and professional organizations. Since his appointment in July 2024, Deputy Mayor Kim has played a key role in ensuring that major policy initiatives of the Seoul city government are promoted with broad social consensus.

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