Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has been sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison for allegedly soliciting a third party to cover expenses related to polling results from political broker Myung Tae-kyun. Oh stated, "The special prosecutor's office, politically weaponized by the Democratic Party, has indicted me," and requested a not guilty verdict. The court is scheduled to deliver its ruling on July 22.
On June 17, the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor's team requested a 1.5-year prison sentence and the recovery of 33 million won (approximately $25,000) during the final hearing at the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 22, presided over by Judge Jo Hyung-woo.
Oh is accused of receiving polling results from Myung on ten occasions during the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election and having businessman Kim Han-jeong pay the associated costs. The special prosecutor's office argued that Oh's actions clearly violate campaign finance laws, supported by Myung's testimony and various objective evidence.
The prosecution emphasized that as a prominent politician, Oh should have adhered strictly to campaign finance regulations. They claimed he undermined the law's intent by allowing polling costs to be paid by a third party, thus compromising transparency.
In response to Oh's assertion that the case is a politically motivated prosecution, the special prosecutor's office countered that they thoroughly reviewed evidence transferred from the prosecution and conducted additional investigations before filing charges.
Oh's defense attorney argued that Myung's testimony is unreliable and called for an acquittal, stating, "Myung's statements have changed before and after his arrest. His testimony is inconsistent," and criticized the prosecution for selectively presenting evidence from the ten polling instances.
The attorney also pointed out that Kang Hye-kyung, who allegedly manipulated the polls under Myung's direction, confessed to a fraudulent scheme in court, accusing the special prosecutor's office of reversing the roles of victim and perpetrator by targeting Oh.
In his closing remarks, Oh expressed his grievances, describing the case as one initiated by a special prosecutor's bill proposed by the Democratic Party for political purposes. He directly confronted the special prosecutor's team, asking, "Are you proud of this?" Oh claimed that he had urged the prosecution to expedite their investigation due to concerns about political exploitation surrounding the presidential and local elections, but they delayed the case until after the last presidential election. He suggested that his indictment was used as a political tool by the new government following a change in administration.
Oh criticized the special prosecutor's reliance on circumstantial evidence, questioning why they could not produce a recording of a phone call in which he allegedly cried four times. He remarked, "Is it possible that a special prosecutor's team dedicated to this case couldn't find a single piece of direct evidence?"
The court has set July 22 as the date for its ruling. According to the Public Election Act, if the court imposes a fine of over 1 million won, Oh's election will be invalidated, and he will be required to resign from office.
Meanwhile, the special prosecutor's office has also sought a 1-year prison sentence for former Seoul Deputy Mayor Kang Cheol-won and businessman Kim Han-jeong, who were indicted alongside Oh.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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