Oh Se-hoon

Oh Se-hoon (Korean: 오세훈, Hanja: 吳世勳; born January 4, 1961) is a South Korean politician who is currently the serving Mayor of Seoul since 8 April 2021. He also previously served as a member of the National Assembly from 2000 to 2004, and the mayor of Seoul from 2006 to 2011. A member of the People Power Party (PPP), Oh is a lawyer by profession.

For other uses, see Oh Se-hoon (disambiguation).
In this Korean name, the family name is Oh. The baptismal name is Stephen.
Oh Se-hoon
오세훈
Oh Se-hoon in 2023
Mayor of Seoul
Assumed office
8 April 2021
PresidentMoon Jae-in
Yoon Suk-yeol
Preceded byPark Won-soon
In office
1 July 2006 – 26 August 2011
PresidentRoh Moo-hyun
Lee Myung-bak
Preceded byLee Myung-Bak
Succeeded byPark Won-soon
Member of the National Assembly
In office
30 May 2000 – 29 May 2004
Preceded byHong Sa-duk
Succeeded byGong Sung-jin
ConstituencyGangnam 2nd (Seoul)
Personal details
Born (1961-01-04) 4 January 1961
Seongdong District, Seoul, South Korea[1]
Political partyPeople Power
Other political
affiliations		Bareun Party (2017–2018)
Liberty Korea Party (2000-2017, 2018–2020)
SpouseSong Hyeon-ok[1]
ChildrenOh Joo-won (daughter)
Oh Seung-won (daughter)
Residence(s)Seoul, South Korea
Alma materHankuk University of Foreign Studies
Korea University (LL.B., LL.M., J.D.)
ProfessionPolitician
Lawyer
ReligionRoman Catholic
(Christian name: Stephen)
Military service
Allegiance South Korea
Branch/service Republic of Korea Army
Army Security Command
Years of service1988–1991
RankJungwi (First Lieutenant)
Oh Se-hoon
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationO Sehun
McCune–ReischauerO Sehun

Personal history

Oh was born on 4 January 1961 in Seongdong District, Seoul.[2] He graduated from Daeil High School and went on to study at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He graduated from Korea University's School of Law and became a lawyer. In 1994, he appeared in the MBC program Lawyer Oh and Lawyer Bae (Korean: 생방송 O 변호사 (생방송 오변호사 배변호사)) and became very popular.[3]

He is Catholic and his baptismal name is Stephen.[4]

Political career

In 2000, Oh was elected as a member of the 16th National Assembly.[1]

On July 1, 2006, Oh began his first term as the mayor of Seoul. Oh was reelected for his second term in 2010 but he lost the vote of Seoul free lunch referendum and had to resign his position after losing it in 2011.[5]

Oh was involved with the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, participating in a celebration video for the organization alongside foundation chairman Park Bum-Shin and Seoul Arts Director Ahn Eun-Mi.[6][7]

Oh had spent time in London, United Kingdom in 2012 as a fellow at the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy at King's College London, focusing on major cities around the world seeking ways to create jobs and help promote economic growth.[8]

In the 21st parliamentary election at the Gwang-jin district, he lost to Ko Min-jung who is a political rookie.[9]

Mayor of Seoul (2021-)

In 2021, he won the People Power Party primaries to become the party candidate for the Seoul mayoral by-election. He later won the election, defeating Democratic Party nominee Park Young-sun with 57.5 percent of the votes.[10]

He began his third term on April 8, 2021. In September 2023, Oh met with New York City mayor Eric Adams in Manhattan, to deepen the cultural and economic ties between Seoul and New York City.[11] This was his first official trip representing Seoul on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting.

DDP

Dongdaemun Design Plaza was constructed during his tenure.[12]

Seoul City Water Project

Although most Seoul residents choose to drink bottled mineral water, it has been reported that Oh Se-hoon not only vouches for, but drinks the city tap water.[13] Encouraging Seoul residents to drink tap water and reduce dependence on bottled water, as well as publicizing the cleanliness of Seoul tap-water has been a pet project for Oh. Seoul City has recently put forward new regulations on tap-water and the focus has gone from not just safe water but water that tastes great.

From 2006 to 2011, Oh announced that he would make Seoul a city of water,[14] and carried out the Han River Renaissance project to build riverside bike paths and Sebitseom floating islands on the southern bank of the Han by Banpo Bridge.[15]

Because he had initiated so much water-related initiatives, when severe floods occurred in 2011, 2022 and 2023, he was criticized with a nickname of Oseidon, a combination of his name and Poseidon.[16]

Political positions

LGBTQ rights

When asked about the Seoul Queer Culture Festival during the 2021 Seoul mayoral race, Oh has stated that, "In a broader spectrum, the principle is that the rights of minorities, including sexual minorities, must be protected and there should be no discrimination." He further went on to say, "I think the debate was on the queer festival being held in the central area near City Hall and Gwanghwamun Plaza, and the city of Seoul has a special committee to make a decision, and there are rules to that as well."[17][18]

Nuclear weapons

Oh Se-hoon supports South Korea acquiring nuclear weapons in order to counter North Korea. In March 2023, during an interview with Reuters, he said that "we've come to a point where it is difficult to convince people with the logic that we should refrain from developing nuclear weapons and stick to the cause of denuclearisation".[19][20]

WikiLeaks

In a document released by WikiLeaks, it was reported that in Oh's discussion with Alexander Vershbow in 2006 he stated that a merger between the Grand National Party and the Democratic Party would be beneficial to the GNP.[21][22]

Electoral history
Election Year Post Party Affiliation Votes Percentage of votes Results
16th General Election 2000 Member of National Assembly from Seoul Gangnam District B Hannara Party 64,516 59.39% Won
4th Local Election 2006 Mayor of Seoul Hannara Party 2,409,760 61.05% Won
5th Local Election 2010 Mayor of Seoul Hannara Party 2,086,127 47.43% Won
20th General Election 2016 Member of National Assembly from Seoul Jongno District Saenuri Party 33,490 39.72% Lost
21st General Election 2020 Member of National Assembly from Seoul Gwangjin District B United Future Party 51,464 47.80% Lost
By-election 2021 Mayor of Seoul People Power Party 2,798,778 57.50% Won
8th Local Election 2022 Mayor of Seoul People Power Party 2,608,277 59.05% Won

Writings
  • 가끔은 변호사도 울고싶다 (When a Lawyer Wants to Cry) by Oh Se-hoon (Myeongjin Publishing, October 1995) ISBN 89-7677-030-7
  • 우리는 실패에서 희망을 본다 (Failure Offers Seeds of Hope) by Kang Won-taek, Kim Ho-ghi, Oh Se-hoon, and Lee Young-jo (Hwanggeumgaji Publishing, August 2005) ISBN 89-8273-930-0

References
  1. "[레이더P] 오세훈, 최연소 시장·10년 야인생활…결자해지 도전" [[Radar P] Oh Se-hoon, the youngest mayor, 10 years of wild life... decision-making challenge] (in Korean). Maeil Business Newspaper. 31 January 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2023 – via Naver.
  2. "About the Mayor". Archived from the original on 2011-09-06. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
  3. "서울시장 된 오세훈, 그의 가파른 인생곡선" [Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon, his steep life curve]. Topclass. Chosun.com. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  4. "Oh Se-Hoon Returns as Seoul Mayor". The Seoul Times. 7 April 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  5. "Seoul Mayor Steps Down After Losing School Lunch Referendum". VOA News. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  6. "서울문화예술회관 연합회 창립기념행사 개최" [Held an event to commemorate the founding of the Seoul Culture and Arts Center Association]. Naver Blog (in Korean). 3 September 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  7. "서울시장과 서울문화재단의 미래" [The Mayor of Seoul and the Future of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture]. Naver Blog (in Korean). 19 April 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  8. "Oh Se-hoon in London to study and shy away from politics". Yonhap News Agency. 28 May 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  9. "[광진을] "정말 어려운 싸움"... 고민정의 0.5%p 차 '매운맛' 승리" (in Korean). OhmyNews. 2020-04-16. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  10. "(Yonhap Feature) How young voters, once solid supporters of liberal causes, turned against Moon's party in by-elections". Yonhap News Agency. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  11. "Mayor Oh Se-hoon visits the New York Korean War Veterans Memorial". Seoul Metropolitan Government. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  12. 전명훈 (2021-04-02). "오세훈 "DDP, 추진할 때 욕먹었지만 이젠 서울의 명소"" (in Korean). 연합뉴스. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  13. "Seoul City holds 2nd Arisu Festival to show tap water is safe to drink". Newsworld. Archived from the original on 2011-05-01.
  14. "서울 물난리 '오세이돈의 무상급수(水)'... "오세훈 '물의 도시' 만든다더니, 공약 실현"" [Seoul's water crisis, 'Oseidon's free water supply'... "Oh Se-hoon said he would make a 'city of water', a promise realized"]. Kyunghyang Shinmun. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2023 – via Naver.
  15. "Mayor Oh Se-hoon's new goal is a Waterside Emotional City". Korea Joongang Daily. 28 April 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  16. "Flooded Gangnam, a 'slap in the face' for Seoul mayor". The Korea Herald. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  17. Ko, Jun-tae (February 23, 2021). "What Seoul mayor candidates have to say on LGBTQ festival". Korea Herald.
  18. Sohn, Kook-hee (February 21, 2021). "野 후보 4인도 뛰어든 퀴어축제 논란, 박영선·우상호 침묵" (in Korean). JoongAng Ilbo – via Naver.
  19. "South Korea needs nuclear weapons, says influential Seoul mayor". The National. 2023-03-13. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  20. Shin, Hyonhee (2023-03-13). "Exclusive: Seoul mayor calls for South Korean nuclear weapons to counter threat from North". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  21. "SEOUL MAYOR OH SE-HOON'S VISION: A NEW SEOUL (06seoul3370)" (in Korean and English). WikiLeaks. Retrieved 2011-10-14. Continuing on the discussion of domestic politics, the Mayor said that while a merger between the GNP and the Democratic Party (DP) would be beneficial to the GNP, it would be difficult and not happen soon.
  22. Park (박), Jong-chan (종찬) (2011-09-21). 오세훈 위키리크스 첫 등장 "민주당과 통합이 한나라당 도움". The Hankyeoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2011-10-14.
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