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Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon laid blame on President Lee Jae-myung over the National Election Commission's failure that caused a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections. He also said the commission needs to be disbanded and reconstituted.
Appearing on TV Chosun's News9 on the evening of the 5th, Oh said, "Beyond simply having the election commission chairman resign, we must demand a complete overhaul—almost to the point of disbanding and reconstituting it," adding, "The president, too, must feel a tremendous sense of responsibility."
Oh also reiterated his intention to attend Cabinet meetings after the start of his new term to convey public sentiment directly to the president. "Even if it's not necessarily a Cabinet meeting, if I am given a separate opportunity, I would like to meet (the president) and convey public sentiment," he said. "The biggest problem right now is jeonse and monthly rent. If current policy is maintained, I think an even greater disaster—a real estate catastrophe—will arrive within the next one to two years."
On the Democratic Party of Korea winning a majority in the Seoul Metropolitan Council, creating a divided government, he emphasized cooperative governance. "These days, things are broadcast almost in real time through YouTube and Shorts, so it's hard for (the council) to behave as recklessly and outrageously as in the past," he said. "Moving toward cooperative governance is the will of the voters."
Asked whether he had a presidential bid in mind, he replied, "I don't think this is the time to consider such things," adding, "As a five-term Seoul mayor, I want to race ahead without hesitation to elevate Seoul's quality of life and urban competitiveness into the global top three."
Oh also said he had called People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok to express his gratitude. Regarding Jang's future, he said, "From the lawmakers' standpoint, they can't help but be mindful of the next general election," adding, "Their own judgments about which brand and which identity would be helpful in running the election will be sorted out through much discussion going forward."
