Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is convicted of violating South Korea’s Political Funds Act and fined 10 million won over alleged illegal payments connected to opinion polling. The Seoul Central District Court says Oh commissioned political broker Myung Tae-kyun to run nonpublic opinion polls ahead of the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election. According to the court, Oh asked businessman and longtime supporter Kim Han-jung to cover polling-related costs, and that request constitutes an illegal political contribution under the act. The court rejects Oh’s defense, which argues that he did not request the supporter to pay for the polling. The ruling is a major setback for the conservative politician and could affect his hold on the mayorship if the fine is ultimately upheld. Under Korean law, an elected official is removed from office if a fine of at least 1 million won or a prison sentence is upheld by the Supreme Court. Oh says he will appeal immediately, and the conviction is not final.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon convicted, fined for alleged illegal political funding tied to opinion polls
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is convicted of violating South Korea’s Political Funds Act and fined 10 million won over alleged illegal payments connected to opinion polling. The Seoul Central District Court...
- Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is convicted under the Political Funds Act.
- He is fined 10 million won related to payments connected to opinion polls ahead of the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election.
- The court finds Oh commissioned political broker Myung Tae-kyun to conduct nonpublic opinion polls.
- The court says Oh asked supporter Kim Han-jung to cover polling costs, and treats the payment as an illegal political contribution.
- Oh denies wrongdoing and plans to appeal; the ruling is not final and only becomes dispositive if upheld by the Supreme Court.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was convicted Wednesday of violating the Political Funds Act and fined 10 million won ($6,760) over opinion polls conducted by political broker Myung Tae-kyun. The sentence, if upheld on appeal, would strip Oh of his mayorship, dealing a critical blow to the political career of one of the nation's most prominent conservative heavyweights. The five-term mayor said he would appeal immediately. The Seoul Central District Court found that Oh commissioned Myung to conduct five opinion polls ahead of the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election and asked businessman and longtime supporter Kim Han-jung to cover 21 million won in polling costs. “The defendant requested his supporter to pay the polling costs,” the court said in the ruling, adding that the payment constituted an illegal political contribution under the act. “Having served as both a lawmaker and mayor, he had been well aware of the act, but he has kept denying his responsibility ... A sentence that would make him lose the public post is inevitable,” it said. Under Korean law, elected officials lose their office
3 hours agoSeoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was convicted Wednesday of violating the Political Funds Act and fined 10 million won ($6,760) over illegal payments for opinion polls commissioned from political broker Myung Tae-kyun. The Seoul Central District Court found that Oh commissioned Myung to conduct a nonpublic opinion poll ahead of the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election and asked businessman and longtime supporter Kim Han-jung to cover 10 million won ($6,760) cost. Rejecting Oh’s defense, the court said “the defendant requested his supporter to pay the polling costs,” adding that the payment constituted an illegal political contribution under the act. The ruling marks a major legal setback for one of the country’s most prominent conservative politicians and could cast uncertainty over Oh’s political future. The verdict is not final and is expected to be appealed. Under Korean law, elected officials lose their office only if a fine of at least 1 million won or a prison sentence is upheld by the Supreme Court. Oh had denied any wrongdoing throughout the trial, arguing that he never requested the pa
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