Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has been sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for allegedly soliciting a third party to cover costs related to polling results from political broker Myung Tae-kyun. Oh stated, "The prosecution, politically weaponized by the Democratic Party through the passage of a special prosecutor bill, has charged me unjustly," and requested an acquittal. The court is scheduled to deliver its verdict on July 22.
The Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor's team, led by Special Prosecutor Min Jung-ki, requested a 1.5-year prison sentence and the return of 33 million won (approximately $25,000) during the trial held at the Seoul Central District Court on June 17.
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 cover the associated costs of 33 million won.
The special prosecutor's office argued, "Oh's violation of the political funding law is clearly evidenced by Myung's testimony and various objective facts, especially as he was solicited to commission a poll to defeat lawmaker Na Kyung-won ahead of the People Power Party's internal primary." They emphasized that as a prominent politician, Oh should have adhered strictly to the political funding law but instead allowed polling costs to be paid by a third party, undermining the law's intent of ensuring transparency.
In response to Oh's claims of political motivation behind the charges, 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, stating, "Myung's statements have changed before and after his arrest. His testimony is inconsistent," and described the prosecution's case as a patchwork of selected polling data.
The attorney also pointed out that Kang Hye-kyung, who allegedly manipulated the polls under Myung's direction, confessed to her actions in court, yet the special prosecutor's office has targeted Oh as the victim in a misguided prosecution.
In his closing remarks, Oh expressed his grievances, labeling the case as a politically motivated prosecution stemming from a special prosecutor bill initiated by the Democratic Party. He directly confronted the special prosecutor's team, asking, "Are you proud of your actions?" He further claimed that the prosecution delayed investigations until after the last presidential election, suggesting that the charges against him were used as leverage 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 phone calls, yet no recordings have been presented. How can a special prosecutor's team dedicated to this case fail to 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, requiring him to resign from office.
Meanwhile, the special prosecutor's office has also requested a one-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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