Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Sunday urged the People Power Party (PPP) leadership to change course, warning that "embracing extremist forces who defend martial law is an act of self-destruction that undermines conservatism's proud history and legitimacy."
The mayor's renewed pressure on the leadership comes as intraparty conflict intensifies following PPP Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk's official announcement of a so-called "Yoon Again" strategy.
"The public opinion scorecard the People Power Party has received is dismal," Oh wrote on Facebook. "Even as what amounts to a legislative coup shaking the judicial order unfolds, the public does not see us as an alternative."
Oh was referring to a National Barometer Survey (NBS) released Saturday showing PPP support at 17%, with the gap against the Democratic Party of Korea widening to 28 percentage points.
"What is this party doing for the people? Is it truly a party dedicated to the community and the vulnerable? Is it the conservative party we knew—one that stabilized society through gradual reform?" Oh asked. "The fact that we hesitate before these questions is our current reality."
The mayor invoked the military regime cleanup of the past to emphasize conservatism's "capacity for self-correction."
"Conservatives established their own legitimacy by purging Hanahoe," Oh said, referring to the secret military society behind the 1979 coup. "Our party's decision not to hang portraits of former President Chun Doo-hwan is not mere formality—it is a commitment to sever ties with forces that violated constitutional order, and a declaration that the constitution stands above power."
"That declaration is not a relic of the past but our identity that remains valid today," he added. "Anti-constitutionalism can never be conservatism. Conservatism without principles is like a house built on sand."
Oh stated, "The current PPP leadership is arguing we should embrace even extremist forces who defend martial law," adding, "We must clearly judge whether the course Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk proclaimed on February 20 is truly the path our party should take."
"The longer we delay, the deeper the chaos becomes," he said. "This is not just about the elections immediately ahead—it is a choice on which conservatism's survival depends, determining whether we can properly check a Lee Jae-myung administration and reclaim power."
Oh concluded by urging the leadership: "The party leadership must provide a responsible answer today. Please make the right choice so you do not remain sinners before history."