Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who has been considered a strong candidate for the presidency, has announced unexpectedly that he will not run in the election, causing a stir in the political landscape of the People Power Party.
As a result, attention is focused on which candidate will absorb Mayor Oh's support rate in the primary elections, which will officially begin next week.
On the 12th, Mayor Oh held an emergency press conference at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, and declared his stance on not running for president. This sudden announcement came a day before the scheduled declaration of his candidacy.
Mayor Oh has consistently been listed among the next presidential candidates in various polls conducted around the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, alongside Kim Moon-soo, former Minister of Employment and Labor, Hong Joon-pyo, former mayor of Daegu, and Han Dong-hoon, former representative.
Mayor Oh, who supported the impeachment of former President Yoon, is noted for his high public recognition and strong appeal to centrist voters.
As a result, the possibility that Han Dong-hoon, former leader of the People Power Party, or lawmakers Ahn Cheol-soo and Yoo Seung-min, who receive support among centrist voters, could absorb Mayor Oh's support base is being discussed.
In declaring his decision not to run, Mayor Oh stated, "Just because I am not challenging for the presidency does not mean my role will disappear," and added, "I will wholeheartedly support any candidate who shares my vision and will dedicate myself to the recreation of the regime."
Among party contenders, there were various endorsements for Oh, including a strong agreement with his sense of mission that champions "growth" and "companioning with the vulnerable" (Kim Moon-soo), and responses such as, "The terms 'again growth' and 'companioning with the vulnerable' will be actively embraced and reflected in future national governance" (Hong Joon-pyo), and, "The value of companioning with the vulnerable is a core value essential for the party's reconstruction" (Ahn Cheol-soo), as well as, "'Again growth' and 'companioning with the vulnerable' aligns with what I mentioned in my candidacy declaration about 'an era of a growing middle class' and 'bridging the gap'" (Han Dong-hoon).
There are also perspectives suggesting that the dispersion of Mayor Oh's support base may not significantly impact the actual primary results.
The possibility of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the acting president, running for the presidency as an opponent to Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party candidate, remains a variable. For Han to enter the People Power Party primary, he must make a decision by the registration deadline of the 15th.
There are also discussions about the possibility that Han would run as an independent in order to later attempt a unification. This is viewed as a strategy that would reduce internal opposition while maximizing centrist expansion.