Oh, Han expected to hold political meeting soon

Oh Se-hoon acquitted in appeals court: 'biggest obstacle removed'

People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jae-seop [Yonhap]
People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jae-seop [Yonhap]

People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jae-seop said Tuesday that Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and fellow lawmaker Han Dong-hoon showed "strong agreement" on the need for unity, describing the mood between the two as one of shared conviction that the party must hold the Democratic Party accountable and cannot afford to be divided.

Speaking on CBS Radio, Kim said the two met Monday at the funeral home for the late father of lawmaker Kim Seong-won and, while they did not go into extensive political detail, appeared to agree on the need to communicate more frequently. "The atmosphere was very good and they talked about all sorts of things," he said.

Kim added that the two noted their most recent photo together was quite old and joked that it might be time for an update — remarks he said were enough to suggest a formal political meeting between the two could come soon.

On Oh's cautious stance toward Han's return to the party, Kim said the mayor appeared to be mindful that bringing the issue of Han's reinstatement to the fore could stir internal conflict. "I think everyone should agree that, in the broader scheme of things, we need to move forward together with Han Dong-hoon," he said.

Kim said Oh's message appeared to be that Han should rejoin only after sufficient consensus has been built within the party. "There is a concern that if the technical question of reinstatement comes first, it could actually undermine the larger political rationale we need to clear," he added.

On Oh's acquittal in the appeals court ruling, Kim said "one of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of Mayor Oh Se-hoon has been removed," calling it a "moment of the stars" for the Seoul mayor.

Asked about the possibility of pro-Oh factions mounting a leadership bid, Kim said it was far too early to talk about who from the pro-Han or pro-Oh camps might make a move. "Mayor Oh is not someone who would do politics through a proxy, and above all, I have no desire to do politics as anyone's proxy either," he said.


mp1256@heraldcorp.com