Oh Se-hoon’s Side: “Why Commit an Illegal Act Over 33 Million Won When We Had Surplus Campaign Funds to Donate?”

Over 700 Million Won in Surplus Funds Donated to People Power Party
"Like Prosecuting the Victim of Fraud"

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. Photo by The Asia Business Daily

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has expressed his disbelief at being brought to trial on allegations that he asked Myung Tae-kyun to conduct a public opinion poll and had someone else pay the costs on his behalf. He argued that there was no reason for him to break the law, as he had more than 700 million won left over from campaign funds-enough to donate to the People Power Party.

On December 10, a representative from Mayor Oh’s office told Yonhap News Agency, "After receiving the indictment, Mayor Oh commented that 'the content lacks precision because it only reflects Mr. Myung's claims,' and responded, 'In fact, I am the victim of a fraud case.'

Special Prosecutor Min Junggi indicted Mayor Oh without detention on December 1, stating that Oh had violated current law, which prohibits anyone from receiving political funds by methods not stipulated in the Political Funds Act. The indictment alleges that in January and February 2021, while competing against Assemblywoman Na Kyung-won ahead of the by-election primary, Oh asked Myung a total of 10 times to conduct public opinion polls, and had businessman Kim Han-jung pay the 33 million won in costs on his behalf, thereby illegally receiving political funds.

In submissions to the special prosecutor, Mayor Oh’s side has consistently asserted that "there was absolutely no reason or motive to violate the Political Funds Act by having someone else pay for the public opinion poll expenses," maintaining that the allegations are groundless.

A representative from Mayor Oh’s office emphasized to Yonhap News Agency, "Under the Public Official Election Act, it was always possible to legally commission a registered polling agency through the National Election Commission, and since there was ample room within the campaign expenditure limit, there was no reason whatsoever to have a third party pay on his behalf."

Mayor Oh’s side believes that Myung is making false claims in order to protect himself. They speculate that when suspicions arose in September last year that he used his acquaintance with former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife to influence the People Power Party’s general election nominations, he involved Mayor Oh in order to manage his own legal troubles.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.