Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (center) enters his campaign office in Seoul’s Jongno District on June 4, 2026, the day after nationwide local elections. (Yonhap)
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon made history Thursday by becoming the first person to secure a fifth term as the mayor of Korea’s capital city.Oh, who ran on the People Power Party ticket, pulled off a comeback from behind in the polls by securing 48.94% of the vote, narrowly beating out Democratic challenger Chong Won-oh’s 48.34% with 97.7% of the ballots counted as of 9:30 Thursday morning. Chong conceded around 9:30 am.After two back-to-back terms as Seoul mayor from 2006 to 2011, Oh returned to office in 2021 for a third and fourth term. During his campaign, Oh distanced himself from People Power Party leadership and party leader Jang Dong-hyuk, instead focusing on his expertise and what he brought to the table as the incumbent mayor of Seoul, as well as his high popularity. As a conservative figure considered less aligned with the party establishment, Oh is likely to play a central role in the conservatives' efforts to rebuild and redefine themselves after Wednesday’s electoral defeat. His reelection also positions him as a strong contender for the conservative nominee in the 2028 presidential race. Oh’s victory over Chong in this razor-thin race can be seen as a reflection of the public’s desire to keep the Lee Jae Myung administration in check, as well as Seoulites’ concerns about the housing market. Oh called his win a “victory for common sense” on Thursday. “You, the voters, made Seoul the last line of defense for democracy, ensuring that the Republic of Korea does not lurch entirely to one side," he said in his victory speech.
