Candidates in the People Power Party (PPP) primary for Seoul mayor clashed fiercely over the party's direction and real estate policy during a televised debate on Saturday. Incumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon faced concentrated attacks from rivals Park Su-min and Yoon Hee-suk.
The PPP preliminary candidates held a heated "Seoul Mayoral Primary Vision Debate" at the TV Chosun studio in Jung-gu, Seoul.
Alliance with Lee Jun-seok and Han Dong-hoon
Candidates were divided over the possibility of forming an alliance with Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, and Han Dong-hoon, former PPP leader. Yoon and Oh answered "possible," while Park answered "impossible." Park drew a clear line, saying, "Expelling former leader Han was excessive, but reattaching him after expulsion is a separate matter. If the conflict escalates again, it will be unmanageable." Yoon said, "I would attach conditions to any alliance with former leader Han. It should be premised on him sincerely apologizing to party members over the party member bulletin board issue." Oh emphasized, "Our party's approval rating doesn't even reach half of the Democratic Party's. In this situation, we must join forces with every faction and every figure except the Democratic Party."
Would you pursue party leadership if you lose the mayoral race?
Only Oh answered "impossible." He said, "I don't think the public would want someone who lost the Seoul mayoral election to then pursue party leadership. I absolutely cannot concede the Seoul mayoral seat, where a Park Won-soon Season 2 is expected from the Democratic Party. I will stake my final political resolve on this." Yoon fired back, "Mayor Oh said he isn't considering any position other than Seoul mayor, but he already made a presidential bid last year. That's an extremely hollow statement."
Red or white on the campaign trail?
All candidates said they would wear the party's signature red during campaigning. Yoon said, "The one who should wear white is PPP leader Jang Dong-hyuk. I hope the party leader resolves to serve humbly once nominations are finalized and comes to rallies in white." Oh said, "We are the main body of the party, and the leadership has abandoned centrist expansion. As someone who has long defended this party, I must defend the red." Park said, "What Chairman Jang failed to expand, the candidates can expand. I believe the candidates themselves should show that the red party is a broad party."
Attacks on Oh's record
In the initiative debate segment, attacks zeroed in on Oh. When Oh asked how candidates would raise Seoul's urban competitiveness index, Yoon struck directly: "The reason Mayor Oh's citizen approval is poor is precisely because he pays too much attention to these indices." She added, "This is exactly why people talk about cosmetic administration and landmark-obsessed governance." Park also pointed out, "The issue is not urban competitiveness but the lives of Seoul's citizens."
