Kim Minseok Pledges No Unconditional Opposition... Mayor Oh Sehoon Says "Glad, Though Late"

Seoul City and People Power Party Hold Government-Party Council
"Communication and Cooperation Essential to Improve Quality of Life for Seoul Citizens"

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said on the 30th, "I was relieved to see reports yesterday of Kim Minseok, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, making comments to the effect that his goal is not to hinder me."

At the "Seoul City-People Power Party Seoul City Party Government Council" held at Seoul City Hall that morning, Mayor Oh said, "Regarding the issue of building youth rental housing in Yongsan Park, I felt relieved, albeit belatedly, when I saw the news that Leader Kim had shifted to a more cautious stance."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, along with members of the People Power Party's National Assembly and party district leaders, are posing for a commemorative photo at the "People Power Party Seoul City Party - Seoul City Breakfast Party-Government Meeting" held at Seoul City Hall on September 30, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

During the holidays, Leader Kim personally visited Yongsan Children's Garden and, afterward, expressed a cautious stance on the plan to use the site for youth rental housing. Regarding the much-discussed "Garden of Gratitude" in Gwanghwamun, he commented, "It has already been built, and it cannot be demolished."

As Leader Kim signaled a conciliatory gesture by stating that he would "not unconditionally oppose or obstruct" Mayor Oh's municipal administration, Mayor Oh responded, "It is late, but I am still relieved."

At the council meeting that day, Seoul city officials including Mayor Oh, Deputy Mayor for Government Affairs Park Changu, Acting Planning and Coordination Office Chief Lee Dongryul, Policy Advisor Park Hyungsoo, Civil Affairs Communication Advisor Lee Jonghyun, and Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Kwak Kwanyong were present. From the Seoul City Party, Chairwoman Cho Eunhee, Supreme Council Member Shin Dongwook (Seocho-eul), and about 20 party district leaders attended.

They expressed a commitment to establish a regular communication framework going forward. Mayor Oh and Chairwoman Cho stated that "close cooperation between the party and the government is essential to improve the quality of life for Seoul citizens," making clear their intention to strengthen cooperation.

In his remarks, Mayor Oh said, "It has been so long since we've had this kind of gathering that some people are saying communication has been lacking," and added, "Ultimately, it was my own oversight." He continued, "We should hold meetings frequently by going back and forth between City Hall and the party office."

He further stated that regarding the recently announced "G3 Plan" and the 100 core tasks, "Now is the time to really get to work and get moving," and added, "It is meaningful that I can directly hear citizens' voices from the party district leaders who are working in the field."

In response, Chairwoman Cho stated, "We are the opposition party at the national level, but we are the ruling party for municipal administration. Since we have few seats in the city council, party district leaders must work together to serve as an important bridge for implementing Seoul city policies."

In particular, referring to the situation where the Seoul Metropolitan Council is controlled by the opposition, she cited the example of the 5.6 billion won youth AI budget being cut by the council, and urged, "We need even closer cooperation with party district leaders and city council members so that young people do not become victims of political strife."

She also said, "Party district leaders must work together so that the 100 projects prepared by Seoul City are properly realized in the field," and added, "We will create a mutually cooperative relationship with the city so that good projects are attracted and ample budget is secured, turning any underdeveloped area into a favorable one in Seoul."

Finally, she said, "We will continue to hold gatherings like this in the future and also hold regional party-government meetings, focusing on improving the quality of life for Seoul citizens. In the end, this will serve as a foundation for increasing our party's approval ratings and achieving good results in the general elections."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.