Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party (PPP) candidate for Seoul mayor, on Thursday acknowledged "a heavy sense of responsibility" over the collapse accident at the Seosomun overpass and reiterated that public safety would remain his top priority, one day before early voting begins for the June 3 local elections. At the same time, he appealed for support, warning that "if even Seoul is conceded, the minimum foundation needed to rebuild a rational and healthy conservative movement will disappear."
Speaking at a press conference held at his campaign headquarters in Jongno-gu that afternoon, Oh said, "As someone who was responsible for Seoul's municipal administration, I feel a weight of responsibility beyond words for the unfortunate accident that occurred during the demolition of the Seosomun overpass." He added, "The reason I fully suspended my campaign immediately after the accident was that I prioritized handling the incident and inspecting the site above all else."
Oh went on to highlight initiatives he had pursued during his previous tenure, including the 100% installation of CCTV cameras at all public construction sites across Seoul and the completion of platform screen doors at subway stations, stressing the continuity of his safety-focused administration.
"Multi-angle recording at construction sites faced strong resistance from the field, but it was a decisive measure to take root in safety culture," he said. "I believe this system also played a role in the recent self-reporting of missing rebar at the GTX-A Samseong Station construction site and in preparing remedial measures."
He also declared, "Beyond construction sites ordered by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, CCTV recording is indirectly mandated at private redevelopment sites through permit conditions. Going forward, I will fully legislate this and tighten discipline at construction sites."
At the same time, Oh expressed alarm that the conservative camp's support base could collapse in this election and urged his supporters to rally.
"We are painfully reflecting on the fact that the People Power Party has greatly disappointed the public," Oh said. "However, if a rational conservative movement cannot rise again and reform itself, Korean politics will lose its checks and balances."
He stressed, "If even Oh Se-hoon falls in Seoul, the very existence of an opposition party that speaks plainly on behalf of citizens will be completely erased, and even the minimum foundation needed to rebuild a rational and healthy conservatism in this land will disappear." He added, "Please defend this last bastion so that balance can be maintained."
Oh also continued his criticism of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and its candidate Jung Won-oh. "The ruling party's behavior of putting forward an irresponsible candidate who avoids being mentioned and dodges scrutiny is arrogance that disregards Seoul citizens," Oh said, claiming that Jung had refused to participate in debates citing negative campaigning. "Refusing to attend debates by classifying requests for explanations during the election vetting process as negative campaigning is probably a first in the world," he said.
Lastly, regarding recent polling trends, Oh noted, "Even when I was trailing by about 10 percentage points one or two months ago, I predicted the race would ultimately come down to a tight contest with a margin of 3 to 5 percentage points, and that is exactly what is happening now." He added, "As the challenger, I will run desperately until the end, and based on the policy track record I have built over five years, I will accept the stern judgment of Seoul's citizens."
