The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Mayor Oh Se-hoon to a 10 million won fine on Wednesday for violating the Political Funds Act [1].
The ruling puts the mayor's political future in jeopardy, as a final conviction by the Supreme Court would result in the loss of his mayoral office [3].
Prosecutors alleged that Oh had the costs of five opinion polls paid by a supporter, businessman Kim Han-jung [4, 5]. The polls in question were conducted between Jan. 22 and Feb. 18, 2021 [5]. According to the court, this arrangement violated laws governing the transparency, and reporting of political finances [1, 5].
In addition to the mayor's sentence, the court imposed fines on other individuals involved in the case. Kim Han-jung received a fine of five million won [2], while Kang Chul-won, a former political affairs mayor, was fined three million won [2].
Legal analysts said that the case centers on the illegality of third-party payments for political services. Under the Political Funds Act, such expenditures must be properly reported and funded through legal channels to prevent undue influence and corruption in elections [1, 5].
Oh's legal team is expected to appeal the decision. The current ruling represents the first-instance verdict, meaning the case will likely proceed through the higher courts before a final determination is made [3].
“The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Mayor Oh Se-hoon to a 10 million won fine”
This ruling creates a significant legal vulnerability for Mayor Oh Se-hoon. In South Korea, a finalized fine exceeding a certain threshold for election or political fund violations typically triggers the automatic loss of public office. While the 10 million won fine is the first-instance ruling, the trajectory of the case toward the Supreme Court transforms a financial penalty into a potential existential threat to his administration.
