Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo has continued to criticize Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who has not yet registered as a candidate for the People Power Party. Hong accused Oh of lacking competitiveness and merely calculating his chances. On Facebook today (the 16th), Hong mentioned Oh’s past electoral defeats in the 2016 and 2020 general elections, arguing that the Seoul mayoral elections were held when the party had the upper hand, not due to Oh’s own competitiveness. Hong questioned whether Oh could handle the upcoming election based solely on his own strengths.
Hong further suggested that Oh might be trying to create an excuse not to run, aiming for party leadership after a potential local election defeat, criticizing Oh for withdrawing from politics during challenging times. On the 13th, Hong also attacked Oh’s Han River bus initiative, dismissing it as a mere Han River cruise ship. Hong argued that to establish effective transportation on the Han River, sufficient docks and parking lots, improved access to the docks, and integrated transportation networks are required. He claimed that these infrastructure needs were overlooked and criticized the project as a hasty, superficial measure. Hong lamented that as a four-time mayor, Oh should have considered these factors when pushing forward with the initiative.