Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Acquitted in Campaign Financing Appeal

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon avoided a political crisis on October 23 as an appellate court overturned his previous conviction in the high-profile illegal campaign financing case. The Seoul High Court delivered a not-guilty verdict, discarding the lower court ruling that had threatened to remove him from office.

The legal battle centered on allegations that Mayor Oh had accepted roughly 33 million won in polling services from political broker Myung Tae-gyun ahead of the April 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election, allegedly having a long-time benefactor cover the expenses. In July, the first-instance court had found him partially guilty of arranging for a supporter to cover 21 million won in polling costs, sentencing him to a 10 million won fine and an additional forfeiture order.

Under South Korean law, politicians convicted under the Political Funds Act with a fine of 1 million won or higher face a mandatory five-year ban from holding public office and immediate removal from their current position. The initial conviction thus jeopardized not only Oh's mayoral tenure but also his prospective presidential ambitions.

During the appellate proceedings, the Independent Special Counsel team had pushed for a harsher penalty, demanding a year and a half in prison. The prosecution argued that the mayor ultimately benefited from the polling services while attempting to evade legal responsibility for the transaction.

However, the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 7 reached a fundamentally different conclusion regarding the credibility of the primary witness. Presiding judges noted that Myung's testimony lacked internal consistency and could not be sufficiently corroborated by the surrounding evidence presented throughout the investigation. The court emphasized that in cases where guilt remains ambiguous and explicit proof is lacking, the benefit of the doubt must be granted to the defendants, leading to the complete acquittal of Mayor Oh alongside co-defendants, including former Vice Mayor Kang Chul-won and businessman Kim Han-jung.

The reversal brought immediate relief to the mayor, who expressed gratitude to the public and citizens of Seoul for maintaining trust in his innocence during the arduous legal process. Following the ruling, the Seoul city administration announced plans to accelerate key municipal initiatives under the ninth popular term, including housing supply strategies and public transit improvements.

Despite the victory, the legal dispute may continue as the prosecution weighs a potential appeal to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, opposition figures criticized the appellate decision as contrary to common public expectations, signaling that the political fallout surrounding the case is far from over.