Whistleblower Accuses Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of Covering Up Han River Bus Scandal

A whistleblower has accused Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of directing the destruction of investigation materials related to the Han River bus rebate scandal.

The whistleblower, a former employee of the Seoul City Audit Committee, filed a complaint with the Corruption Investigation Office on November 3, alleging that Mayor Oh was behind the order to dispose of investigation documents. The complaint includes charges of abuse of power, evidence concealment, and dereliction of duty.

The whistleblower claims that Mayor Oh was informed last September that some of the funds allocated to the Han River bus manufacturing company had been funneled to a senior executive at the Seoul Housing and Urban Development Corporation (SH) but chose to suppress the internal investigation.

The complaint also states that after receiving a report on the investigation request, Mayor Oh allegedly asked his chief of staff, "Is there a need to spoon-feed the police?"

The whistleblower's representatives argue that Mayor Oh has an obligation to report or request an investigation when he discovers or is informed of criminal allegations. They suggest that Mayor Oh, who has touted the Han River bus project as a major achievement, likely ordered the destruction of investigation materials, including the request for investigation, to prevent negative impacts on the project.

Previously, on October 20, the whistleblower reported an SH executive involved in the rebate scandal for bribery and breach of trust, as well as the chair of the Seoul City Audit Committee and the head of the Planning and Coordination Office for abuse of power to the police.

In contrast, Mayor Oh refuted the allegations during a National Assembly audit on October 19, stating, "There is no evidence that the rebate went to our SH employees," and claimed the issue stemmed from internal conflicts during the whistleblower's transfer to another department.

In response, the whistleblower's representatives indicated they are considering legal action, believing that Mayor Oh's comments may violate the Whistleblower Protection Act and the Anti-Corruption and Whistleblower Protection Act.