Lee vows to block Oh Se-hoon's presidential ambitions and chart a Democratic Party path focused on people's livelihoods; presents four campaign pledges to strengthen policy capacity, support legislative activity and reform local councils
Lee Sang-hoon, a three-term lawmaker representing Gangbuk District 2, has officially taken office as the Democratic Party of Korea's floor leader in the 12th Seoul Metropolitan Council for the first half of the term.
Lee previously served as senior deputy floor leader of the Democratic Party during the second half of the 10th Seoul Council, policy senior deputy floor leader during the second half of the 11th Seoul Council, and chair of the third policy committee. He has earned a reputation within the party as its foremost expert in policy and strategy.
"Over the past five years, life for Seoul residents has grown harder under Mayor Oh Se-hoon's administration," Lee said, expressing firm resolve to shift Seoul from what he called "Oh Se-hoon's road to the presidency" onto "the Democratic Party's road to people's livelihoods."
Lee also said that "experience has taught us that having more seats does not solve every problem," adding that he would "overwhelm the Oh administration through sheer competence, with thorough preparation and the united political strength of 80 colleagues."
To deliver on that commitment, Lee laid out four core campaign pledges and reform priorities.
Institutionalizing the policy coordination council and policy general assembly as standing bodies, and building a control tower to keep the Oh administration in check
To scrutinize the Oh administration and drive livelihood policy production, Lee plans to formalize the Policy Coordination Council, the Policy General Assembly and the Democratic Seoul Forum as official standing bodies with regular schedules. A dedicated support team will be established within the floor leader's office to ensure professional and stable operations.
Introducing a one-stop legislative support system
A specialized planning unit will be set up to assist lawmakers at every stage of mayoral questioning — from planning and content development through follow-up communications — alongside a mobile consulting advisory team to address local issues and constituent concerns. Policy advisers currently attached to standing committees will be transferred to the floor negotiating body to further strengthen legislative support capacity.
Activating a three-way cooperation framework among the Seoul Council, the National Assembly and the Seoul mayor's office
To forge a strong three-way alliance linking the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Democratic Party caucus, the Democratic Party's Seoul chapter and the National Assembly's Democratic Party members, Lee plans to establish a tentatively named Democratic Municipal Policy Advisory Council. He will also build a year-round cooperation framework for national audits and administrative inspections.
Pursuing enactment of a Local Council Act and amendment of the Local Finance Act
Lee also presented substantive reform proposals to advance local autonomy across South Korea. He plans to propose the formation of an innovation task force within the Metropolitan Council Floor Leaders' Council, to be carried out in three sequential phases: introducing a one-lawmaker, one-policy-adviser system; enacting a Local Council Act to reform local self-governance; and amending the Local Finance Act to complete decentralization.
"Drawing on eight years of accumulated experience, I will meaningfully raise the policy capacity of our floor caucus," Lee said. "By channeling the intense legislative efforts of every Democratic Party lawmaker, I will take clear responsibility for the safety and happiness of Seoul's 9.3 million residents."
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