Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has been sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison for allegedly soliciting a third party to cover the costs of polling results from political broker Myung Tae-kyun. Oh stated, "The special prosecutor's office, politically manipulated by the Democratic Party, has indicted me," and requested a not guilty verdict. The court is scheduled to deliver its ruling on July 22.
The Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor's team (led by Special Prosecutor Min Jung-ki) requested the sentence and a fine of 33 million won during the trial held on June 17 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 equivalent of 33 million won on his behalf. The special prosecutor's office argued that Oh's actions clearly violate political funding laws, supported by Myung's testimony and various objective evidence.
The prosecution emphasized that as a prominent politician, Oh should have adhered to political funding laws, yet he allowed polling costs closely tied to political activities to be paid by a third party, undermining the law's intent for transparency. They stated that this method weakens the effectiveness of political funding regulations and damages public trust, warranting severe accountability.
In response to Oh's claims of political prosecution, the special prosecutor's office countered that the team 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. The attorney noted, "Myung's statements have changed before and after his arrest. His testimony is inconsistent," and criticized the special prosecutor's office for selectively charging based on ten polling instances, labeling it as a patchwork indictment.
The defense also pointed out that Kang Hye-kyung, who allegedly manipulated the polls under Myung's direction, confessed to a fraudulent scheme in court, yet the special prosecutor's office has misidentified the victim and perpetrator by targeting Oh.
In his closing argument, Oh expressed his grievances, describing the case as one initiated by a special prosecutor's bill proposed by the Democratic Party, leading to politically motivated charges. He confronted the special prosecutor's team directly, asking, "Are you proud of this?" He further claimed that the investigation was delayed until after the last presidential election, suggesting that his indictment was used as a political tool by the new government.
Oh criticized the special prosecutor's reliance on circumstantial evidence, stating, "Among the allegations, there is a claim that I cried four times during a phone call, yet no recording has been presented. How can a special prosecutor's team dedicated to this case fail to find any 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 1 million won or more, Oh's election will be invalidated, and he will be required to resign from his position.
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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