Seo Young-kyo, chair of the National Assembly's Legislative and Judiciary Committee and a member of the Democratic Party, criticized the judiciary on October 23 after Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was acquitted in his appeal. She compared the ruling by Judge Koo Hoe-geun, who acquitted Oh, to that of Judge Ji Gwi-yeon, who previously released former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Following the Seoul High Court's not guilty verdict, Seo expressed her shock on Facebook, stating, "This is shocking. The first trial resulted in a fine of 10 million won and a guilty verdict, but the judiciary has chosen to favor Oh Se-hoon."
Seo specifically targeted Judge Koo, saying, "This is too much," and referenced Koo's history of acquitting Yoon on charges of violating political funding laws. She questioned how Koo could rule not guilty despite overwhelming evidence, labeling both Koo and Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae as unjust legal professionals. "Who would accept this ruling? The courts that released Yoon and Oh are similar," she emphasized.
Earlier, during a National Assembly audit, Seo had stirred controversy by calling for a prison sentence for Mayor Oh, stating, "It has been confirmed who commissioned the opinion polls benefiting Oh, who paid for them, and who gained from this. Oh, who received illegal political funding, must resign from public office. The court should sentence him to prison."
Seo's comments during the audit drew criticism from opposition lawmakers, who accused her of attempting to interfere with the judicial process. Park Hyung-soo, the opposition's representative on the committee, protested, "Is it appropriate for the committee chair to issue a statement during a National Assembly audit? This is intimidation of the judiciary by the legislative branch."
Kim Tae-kyu, another member of the committee, also held a press conference demanding Seo's resignation, questioning her motives and suggesting she was trying to undermine Mayor Oh.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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