Incumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has been selected as the People Power Party's candidate for Seoul mayor in the June 3 local elections. Oh will face off against Jung Won-oh, former Seongdong District chief and the Democratic Party of Korea's Seoul mayoral candidate, as he bids to become the first five-term Seoul mayor.
Park Duk-hyum, chairman of the People Power Party's Central Nomination Management Committee, announced at the party's central headquarters in Yeouido on the 18th that Oh had won the candidate primary against Rep. Park Soo-min (first-term, Gangnam-B, Seoul) and former Rep. Yoon Hee-sook.
Born in 1961, Oh entered politics in 2000 when he ran for the Gangnam-B district in Seoul under the Grand National Party in the 16th general election and won. Ahead of the 17th general election in 2004, he shocked the political world by declining to seek re-election and abruptly announcing his retirement from politics.
Two years and four months after his retirement announcement, Oh declared his candidacy for Seoul mayor in April 2006. He defeated former Justice Minister Kang Kum-sil, who ran as the Uri Party candidate, to become the first Seoul mayor in his 40s.
After winning re-election as Seoul mayor, he resigned in 2011 after staking his position on a referendum on free school meals, which was followed by a decade out of office.
Oh returned to Seoul City Hall after winning the by-election in April 2021 and successfully secured another term as mayor in 2022.
