Shin Dong-wook dismisses 'Oh-Jang alliance' talk, says conservative unity comes through elections

People Power Party Supreme Council member Shin Dong-wook said Monday that talk of a so-called "Oh-Jang alliance" between Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok should be dropped altogether.

Speaking on CBS Radio that day, Shin said Oh had "repeatedly said, from a strategic electoral standpoint, that he would keep his distance from Rep. Jang or from the party and run on his own." Shin pushed back on that framing, saying, "But I do not think a victory for Mayor Oh would be Mayor Oh's victory alone. If that were the logic, he should have run as an independent."

Shin added that Oh, as a party member, would naturally build on the PPP's foundation as the country moves toward the 2028 general election and the subsequent presidential election. "Does aligning specifically with Jang Dong-hyeok amount to aligning with our party? It does not," Shin said.

On the broader question of conservative consolidation — including independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon and Reform Party lawmaker Lee Jun-seok — Shin said unity cannot be manufactured by a handful of politicians gathering for a meal. "Most cases of unification or consolidation happen through elections," Shin said. "It is something the people bring about."

Shin said it would be unrealistic for Han Dong-hoon, Oh Se-hoon, Jang Dong-hyeok and Lee Jun-seok to suddenly convene and declare unity, and went on to say that "when the time comes, realignments will happen whether we want them to or not."

Asked about the possibility of figures who have left the party returning, Shin said any prediction made now would likely prove wrong. "I think it would be premature to speculate," Shin said. "What our party needs to do now is focus on politics that looks after people's lives."

On the possibility of holding a party convention in February next year, Shin said no decision had been made. "I have relatively accurate information on this, and nothing has been decided yet," Shin said, adding that the likelihood of the current leadership being forced out by outside pressure had diminished considerably.

Shin added that questions remain about how long the current leadership will stay in place, whether a caretaker committee would follow, or whether an election would need to be held under the current floor leader structure. "A thorough interpretation of the party constitution and bylaws is needed on all of these points," Shin said.