Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was acquitted on charges of violating the Political Fund Law on October 23, prompting Myung Tae-kyun, a political broker, to assert that the factual circumstances differ from the ruling. Reactions from politicians across the aisle varied.
Myung posted on Facebook, stating, "I respect the judiciary's ruling, but the factual relationship is different from the verdict."
Earlier, the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 7, led by Chief Judge Koo Hoe-geun, overturned the original sentence that imposed a fine of 10 million won and a forfeiture of 21 million won on Mayor Oh. He had been indicted last December for allegedly receiving polling results from Myung ten times and having businessman Kim Han-jeong pay 33 million won on his behalf ahead of the April 7, 2021, Seoul mayoral by-election.
This ruling alleviates the burden of a potential disqualification from office for Mayor Oh. According to Article 57 of the Political Fund Law, anyone convicted of receiving political funds with a fine of over 1 million won cannot assume or be appointed to public office for five years after the sentence is finalized. If the special prosecutor appeals, the Supreme Court's decision will determine whether Mayor Oh can retain his position.
In response to the ruling, conservative lawmakers expressed their support. Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo congratulated Mayor Oh on his acquittal, stating, "I hope that politics will no longer be decided by the judiciary." He also urged Oh to focus on serving the ten million citizens of Seoul.
People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo remarked that the second trial's verdict was merely gossip, questioning the necessity of the special prosecutor and the trial itself. He expressed hope that this would mark the end of using the law as a weapon to disrupt politics and harm citizens' lives.
Conversely, members of the ruling party called for an immediate appeal by the special prosecutor. Park Joo-min, a member of the Democratic Party and a potential candidate for the next Seoul mayoral election, stated, "It is difficult for the public to understand the court's judgment based on common sense," urging the special prosecutor to thoroughly contest the evidence and legal application in this ruling. He also called on the Supreme Court to rigorously examine the validity of the appellate court's findings and evidence assessment.
Kim Jun-hyung, the floor leader of the Justice Reform Party, criticized the situation, saying, "The cockroaches of hidden insurrection are all crawling out again," reaffirming his concerns.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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