Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was acquitted in an appeals court on charges of receiving polling results from political broker Myung Tae-kyun and having the costs covered by a supporter. While the ruling drew backlash from the ruling party, conservative factions welcomed the decision as just.
Han Byeong-do, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, expressed his disappointment on Facebook, stating, "I regret the appeals court's decision that overturned the first trial's guilty verdict." He added, "This ruling does not align with public common sense, as there was concrete evidence presented during the special prosecutor's investigation and trial that proved guilt. Yet, the appeals court disregarded established legal principles and accepted only the one-sided claims of Mayor Oh, granting him a pardon."
He further remarked, "It is difficult to understand how a ruling contrary to the first trial could be reached despite clear evidence and testimonies. Given the serious nature of this issue, which undermines the fairness and neutrality of elections that sustain democracy, the special prosecutor must immediately appeal to correct the legal errors of the appeals court."
Cho Kuk, head of the Justice Reform Party's Policy Research Institute, noted, "The backlash from 'judicial politics' that we warned about repeatedly continues. This is a consequence of not firmly pursuing judicial reforms, including the abolition of the Judicial Administration Office and the impeachment of Cho Hee-dae."
In contrast, conservative leaders expressed their approval. Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, posted on Facebook, "This is a just outcome. The special prosecutor, who brought unfounded charges, must take responsibility. As a result, Mayor Oh has alleviated the burden of losing his mayoral position. The special prosecutor should immediately abandon any futile Supreme Court appeal." He also stated, "The person who should be on trial is not Mayor Oh, but the criminal who is Lee Jae-myung. The trial against Lee Jae-myung must resume immediately."
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon commented, "During the first trial, the credibility of the testimonies from related parties was low and difficult to understand. I hoped the appeals court would rectify this. I am relieved that the appeals court did not yield to the blatant and disgraceful pressure from Democratic Party politicians like Kim Min-seok and Seo Young-kyo and corrected the first trial's ruling."
Meanwhile, the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 7, led by Chief Judge Koo Hoe-geun, overturned the original ruling that imposed a fine of 10 million won and a forfeiture of 21 million won on Mayor Oh for violating the Political Funding Law. Oh was indicted last December for allegedly receiving polling results from Myung on ten occasions and having businessman Kim Han-jeong cover costs amounting to 33 million won ahead of the April 7, 2021, Seoul mayoral by-election.
This ruling alleviates the burden on Mayor Oh regarding the potential loss of his mayoral position. According to Article 57 of the Political Funding Law, "Anyone who is sentenced to a fine of 1 million won or more for the crime of receiving political funds improperly shall not be appointed or appointed to public office for five years after the sentence is finalized, and those who have already been appointed shall be dismissed from their positions." If the special prosecutor appeals, the Supreme Court's decision will determine whether Mayor Oh can maintain his position.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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