Seoul Mayor Fined $6,600 for Ordering Opinion Polls

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has been fined 10 million won ($6,600) by the Seoul Central District Court for commissioning opinion polls before the 2021 mayoral by-election.

The court found Oh guilty of arranging payment for five opinion polls, including three that were not intended for publication and two that were released publicly. The court stated that Oh complained when the poll results were unfavorable and sought to delay their release to minimize their negative effect.

The court also found that the commissioning and payment of the polls were connected to an effort to publish and report candidate-commissioned opinion polls prohibited under the Public Official Election Act. The court stated that the nature of the offense is serious, especially considering Oh’s previous experience as Seoul mayor and his knowledge of the Political Funds Act.

Oh disputed the ruling after leaving the courthouse, stating that the court found him guilty based on circumstantial evidence rather than direct evidence. He claimed that the correct decision would have been to find him not guilty on every count.

The defense team for Oh released a statement expressing regret over the court’s decision to convict him without objective evidence. They stated that it is difficult to accept a conclusion reached by piecing together some of Myung’s exaggerated statements and various circumstances.

The case is governed by an expedited trial provision requiring a first-trial ruling within six months of indictment and appellate and Supreme Court rulings within three months of the preceding decision. A final Supreme Court ruling is expected by January at the latest.

Oh’s legal team has announced that they will file an immediate appeal. If the sentence is upheld by the Supreme Court, Oh will lose his position as mayor.

The Seoul Central District Court also ordered Oh to forfeit 21 million won ($13,900). Former Seoul Vice Mayor for Political Affairs Kang Chul-won, who was indicted with Oh, was fined 3 million won ($2,000). Businessman and political supporter Kim Han-jung was fined 5 million won ($3,300).

The prosecution accused Oh of receiving the results of 10 private opinion polls from political broker Myung Tae-kyun before the April 7, 2021, Seoul mayoral by-election. They alleged that Oh instructed Kang, then his chief of staff, to have Kim pay about 33 million won ($21,900) in polling costs.

The court found that Oh had previously served as Seoul mayor and should have been familiar with the purpose and requirements of the Political Funds Act. They stated that he led the offense but repeatedly attempted to avoid responsibility during the trial by presenting arguments the court found difficult to accept.

Key Points:

• Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was fined 10 million won ($6,600) for commissioning opinion polls before the 2021 mayoral by-election.
• The court found Oh guilty of arranging payment for five opinion polls, including three that were not intended for publication and two that were released publicly.
• The court stated that Oh complained when the poll results were unfavorable and sought to delay their release to minimize their negative effect.
• The defense team for Oh released a statement expressing regret over the court’s decision to convict him without objective evidence.