Opposition Blocs Protest Oh’s Loss of Mayoral Position in First Trial: "Unacceptable... Must Be Corrected on Appeal"

The broader opposition camp is pushing back after the court sentenced Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to forfeit his position in the first trial on July 22, ruling on the so-called “Myeongtaekyun opinion poll payment allegations.”

Jung Jeom-sik, floor leader of the People Power Party, issued a statement that day, saying, “While I respect the court's decision, I question whether it is possible to arrive at a guilty verdict based solely on a judge’s presumption founded on Mr. Myeong’s statements,” adding, “I hope the appellate court will conduct a more meticulous verification and assessment.”

In the first trial verdict for Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who was indicted on allegations of secretly funding the 'Myeongtaekyun public opinion survey,' a fine of 10 million won was imposed. On July 22, 2026, citizens at the Seoul Station concourse watched the first trial results on TV. Photo by Cho Yongjun

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon also commented via his social networking service (SNS), saying, “The first trial’s guilty verdict against Mayor Oh is difficult to accept, given that the testimony of those involved lacks credibility and rests on leaps of logic,” adding, “I hope the appeal trial will correct this.”

Previously, Mayor Oh had been indicted on charges of violating the Political Funds Act, accused of receiving an opinion poll service from political broker Mr. Myeong and arranging for costs to be paid via a sponsor. On this day, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Mayor Oh to a fine of 10 million won and ordered an additional forfeiture of 21 million won.

Under the current Public Official Election Act, if a person is found guilty of violating Article 49 of the Political Funds Act (relating to election expenses) and is sentenced to imprisonment or a fine of at least 1 million won, the election result is automatically annulled. If Mayor Oh’s sentence is upheld by the Supreme Court at this level or higher, he will lose his position as mayor of Seoul.

The faction aligned with Oh Se-hoon is also objecting. Former Seoul Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs Kim Byung-min stated, “Even though no evidence was ultimately presented to prove Mayor Oh’s direct orders or involvement, the court based its verdict of guilt on the testimony and circumstances surrounding Mr. Myeong—whose credibility was questioned,” adding, “This is a verdict recognizing guilt through presumption rather than by proof, and it fundamentally shakes the longstanding principles upheld by Korea’s judiciary.”

Jo Eun-hee, a People Power Party lawmaker close to Mayor Oh, likewise said, “This is a verdict that is hard to accept. It is difficult to accept that someone could be found guilty solely on the claims of a witness whose credibility is in question, with no direct evidence,” adding, “The higher courts must uncover the substantive truth in accordance with objective evidence and legal principles.”

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