Oh Se-hoon floats 'emergency committee transition'; Jang Dong-hyuk fires back citing 'political motives'

When Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon argued on the 11th that the People Power Party under Jang Dong-hyuk's leadership cannot win the general election, even raising the possibility of a transition to an emergency response committee before the party convention, Chairman Jang publicly pushed back, saying political motives were at play.

In an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo released that day, Mayor Oh said, "An emergency committee structure appears more flexible," adding that "the election must be fought in a way that resonates with the mood of the Seoul metropolitan area and gives voters new hope." He stated, "If the party can prove its renewal to the public, all options must remain open, including a transition to an emergency response committee before the national convention." In a Facebook post later that afternoon, he also emphasized, "The party's recent rise in approval ratings is largely a spillover effect of the policy failures of the Lee Jae-myung government and the Democratic Party, and is only a temporary reflection," stressing that "it must change to win the firm support of centrists, the metropolitan area, and young voters."

Speaking to reporters at a forum hosted by TV Chosun that day, Chairman Jang countered, "If this isn't truly aimed at winning the general election, it can only be interpreted as reflecting other political motives." He also said polling indicators point in exactly the opposite direction of calls for an emergency committee transition. "I worry about Seoul residents suffering over real estate and their livelihoods, but the mayor seems to be paying a lot of attention to internal party matters," he said, adding, "In that case, we could just swap places—me becoming Seoul mayor and him coming over as party chairman."

Behind the exchange lies the complicated history between the two. Around the June local elections, Mayor Oh criticized Chairman Jang's political line and punitive politics and demanded his resignation, though more recently the two have kept a relatively closer distance, appearing together at public events.