Oh Se-hoon Holds Final Campaign Rally in Sinchon

“Experience matters. The person who has been working will do well.”

On the evening of June 2, just one day before the local elections, Sinchon Station in the Seodaemun District of Seoul was filled with supporters attending the final rally of Oh Se-hoon, the candidate from the People Power Party. Given the area's proximity to several universities, many in the 2030 age group were also present.

As citizens waved placards bearing Oh's name and the number '2', they cheered for his arrival. When Oh greeted the crowd with a hoarse voice, some expressed concern, saying, “Oh no, your voice is hoarse,” and “Your voice is completely gone.”

In interviews with Aju Economy, citizens shared their reasons for supporting Oh. Jeong Myeong-seon, a woman in her 60s living in Seodaemun, stated, “I don’t support the party, but I support the person,” expressing hope for Oh's victory. She explained, “I was originally a member of the People Power Party but left due to the Park Geun-hye administration's corruption scandal. Recently, I have grown disillusioned with the party under former President Yoon Suk-yeol.”

While acknowledging that Jeong Won-oh, the Democratic Party candidate, has accumulated significant achievements as the head of the Seongdong District Office, she emphasized the importance of completing ongoing projects, such as the redevelopment of the Yujin Shopping Center and the light rail project, stating, “The person who has been working should finish what they started.”
Recent social media trends, such as the 'Main Enemy Challenge,' have also emerged as a reason for supporting Oh. This challenge involves asking candidates, “Who do you consider the main enemy of South Korea?” and gauging their responses. It has primarily targeted candidates from the ruling party, with conservative candidates naming “North Korea” while Democratic candidates often evade the question, becoming subjects of ridicule.

Kim, a 23-year-old living in Sinchon, remarked, “Seeing Democratic candidates unable to name North Korea as the main enemy made me decide to support the People Power Party candidate.” He added, “I’m not a party member, but I support them.”

A man in his 60s, Baek, who resides in Mapo, shared, “I was neutral before, but I became concerned when Democratic candidates couldn’t name North Korea as the main enemy.” He mentioned that he had not participated in early voting but planned to vote for Oh in the main election.

Park, a 65-year-old supporter who came to cheer for Oh's final rally in Eunpyeong, expressed dissatisfaction with President Lee Jae-myung, stating, “There are many things I don’t like about what this president is doing,” and added, “The president and the Democratic candidates have so many issues that they are not worthy of my vote.”