On the morning of June 4, 2026, a sense of anticipation hung in the air outside a modest election office in Jung-gu, Seoul. Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party candidate, strode in, greeted by flashes of cameras and the buzz of supporters. The previous night’s nail-biting suspense had finally given way to celebration: Oh had been declared the winner of the fiercely contested Seoul mayoral race, making history as the city’s first-ever five-term mayor, according to reports from Asia Economy and other major outlets.
The journey to this unprecedented fifth term was anything but straightforward. Exit polls released immediately after voting closed on June 3 painted a bleak picture for Oh. The three major broadcasters’ surveys showed his opponent, Jung Won-oh of the Democratic Party, leading by a margin of 5.4 percentage points—a gap that seemed insurmountable to many observers. As the initial vote counts trickled in, Oh trailed significantly, and the mood in his camp was tense. "When the exit polls came out, I was shocked... the gap was bigger than I expected," Oh later admitted, as quoted by Yonhap News TV.
But the tides began to turn in the dead of night. By 7:17 AM on June 4, Oh had overtaken Jung, thanks in large part to overwhelming support in key districts such as Gangnam, Seocho, and Songpa—areas traditionally considered conservative strongholds. According to the Central Election Management Committee, as of 10:40 AM, Oh had secured 49.03% of the vote to Jung’s 48.25%, a difference of nearly 40,000 votes with 98.53% of ballots counted. Earlier, at 9:40 AM, the margin was a razor-thin 0.60 percentage points, or 30,359 votes, with Oh at 48.94% and Jung at 48.34%.
Jung Won-oh, recognizing the writing on the wall, conceded with humility. "I accept the citizens’ choice with a heavy and humble heart. I was lacking. It’s my fault," he told reporters, offering his congratulations to Oh and expressing gratitude to his supporters and campaign team, as reported by Kangwon Ilbo and Munhwa Ilbo.
Oh’s victory speech was imbued with both gratitude and a sense of duty. "I sincerely thank you... Seoul’s future has brightened," he declared. He described the election as a triumph not for himself, but for fairness, democracy, and the ordinary citizens of Seoul. "This is also a victory for common sense," he said, emphasizing that the city’s voters had reaffirmed the principles of checks and balances in democracy. "You have left Seoul as the last safety net for democracy," he added, expressing deep respect for the electorate’s role in maintaining democratic equilibrium.
The campaign itself was marked by sharp contrasts and late-breaking drama. Oh’s slogan, "Started change, overwhelming completion," focused on continuity, stability, and the experience he brought from his previous four terms. He asked voters for "just four more years" to finish what he had started. In contrast, Jung, despite his party’s advantage and support from the ruling coalition, struggled to overcome past controversies and a perceived lack of administrative experience. Oh did not hesitate to raise these issues, warning that Seoul could not become "a practice course for a rookie driver," according to Kangwon Ilbo.
Yet, the election was not without its problems. Several voting sites experienced ballot shortages, leading to confusion and frustration among voters. Oh addressed this issue head-on in his remarks. "Democracy is as much about the process as the result. There was confusion at polling stations across Seoul," he said, voicing "deep regret" over what he described as an infringement of citizens’ sacred voting rights. He called for a thorough investigation and fundamental improvements: "The flaws in the process cannot be swept under the rug as if nothing happened. We must identify what went wrong and make fundamental improvements."
In addition to the voting irregularities, the campaign was shaken by a major infrastructure incident: the collapse of the Seosomun overpass demolition site. The timing could not have been worse, amplifying public anxiety about safety and prompting criticism from the opposition. Oh responded with a promise of immediate action. "I understand citizens’ anxiety following the Seosomun accident. Upon returning to work, I will launch high-intensity special safety inspections of all aging infrastructure and construction sites in Seoul," he pledged.
Housing, unsurprisingly, emerged as the central issue of the campaign. Oh did not mince words about the scale of the problem. "The biggest issue facing Seoul is the real estate problem," he stated, noting the sharp decline in jeonse (long-term deposit leases) and the surge in monthly rents. He warned that unless the government changed course, a "real estate disaster" was inevitable. Oh promised to communicate this urgency directly to the president at the next cabinet meeting, highlighting his intent to advocate for Seoul’s residents at the highest levels.
To address these challenges, Oh outlined an ambitious policy agenda. His key pledges included supplying 310,000 new housing units by 2031, launching the second phase of the "New Tong Plan" (a comprehensive urban renewal initiative), developing the northern and southwestern regions of Seoul, expanding the city’s transportation network, increasing late-night and early-morning bus services, and creating "10-minute exercise zones" so that every resident could access sports facilities within a short walk from home. These promises, he argued, would not only tackle immediate concerns but also secure Seoul’s long-term competitiveness and quality of life.
Oh’s political journey has been marked by both triumphs and setbacks. First elected as Seoul mayor in 2006 and re-elected in 2010, he resigned in 2011 after a failed referendum on free school meals. After unsuccessful bids for the National Assembly in 2016 and 2020, he returned to the mayor’s office in a 2021 by-election following the death of Park Won-soon. He then won reelection in 2022, and now, with this latest victory, stands as a formidable figure in South Korean politics—some even see him as a potential presidential contender, given his record and the gravitas of being a five-term mayor.
Despite the jubilation, Oh struck a sober note about the work ahead. "It’s time to get back to work... I will immediately review measures to restore the housing ladder and begin high-intensity safety inspections," he said. He assured citizens, "I have never once been certain of victory. I approached this with the mindset of a challenger. I will repay Seoul citizens with results."
As Seoul wakes to a new chapter under Oh Se-hoon’s leadership, the challenges are clear, but so too is the resolve of its mayor. For now, the city’s future—and its experiment in democratic resilience—rests in the hands of a leader determined to make his historic fifth term count.