Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon secured reelection on Wednesday, handing the main opposition People Power Party its biggest win in the nationwide local elections. However, the razor-thin victory over Democratic candidate Chong Won-o also laid bare the persistent weakness of the conservative party brand. Consequently, Oh’s personal triumph did not translate into broad electoral support for his party. The People Power Party lost 17 of Seoul’s 25 district chief races, a stunning reversal from its dominant performance just four years earlier.
Oh deliberately ran a campaign that kept the party brand at a careful distance. He refused to appear publicly with party Chairperson Jang Dong-hyeok during the final stretch, signaling a clear break from the central leadership. In his victory speech, he framed the result as a mandate against the government’s housing crisis. “This is a victory of ordinary, hardworking citizens — tenants hoping for an end to the hellish rental housing crisis,” he declared. Moreover, he used the moment to call for a shift toward the political center.
The party brand has struggled to escape the shadow of impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Since taking office last year, Chairperson Jang has faced repeated internal calls to step aside or fundamentally change direction. Critics argue the party remains too closely tied to Yoon and his loyalists, alienating the moderate and swing voters needed for a full recovery. An anonymous party official acknowledged the disconnect after the results. “Seoul was won by Oh Se-hoon, not necessarily by the party brand,” the official said. “Many voters supported Oh because of his record and because they wanted checks on the central government.” The official added that the leadership must now urgently examine why it lost most district-level races.
Political commentator Park Sang-byeong said the outcome should serve as a serious warning. “Oh Se-hoon won because he was able to separate himself from the party brand’s current image,” Park noted. “This does not mean the party has regained support among moderate voters.” Instead, he argued, the result strengthens the case for a more decisive break with Yoon-era politics.
Nationwide, the Democratic Party won 12 of the 16 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial races, leaving the conservatives with just four. Thus, while Oh’s victory offered a psychological boost, it underscored the limited appeal of the party brand. Looking ahead, the pressure on Jang to accelerate reform and distance the party from the Yoon legacy will only intensify.
