Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Acquitted on Appeal in Political Funds Case
The Seoul High Court overturned a lower court conviction over opinion polls linked to the 2021 mayoral election. Prosecutors say they will appeal the acquittal to South Korea’s Supreme Court.
A South Korean appeals court has acquitted Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of violating the Political Funds Act in a case involving opinion polls conducted ahead of the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election.
The Seoul High Court delivered the ruling on Friday, October 23, 2026, overturning a lower court decision that fined Oh 10 million won (about $7,500) and ordered him to forfeit 21 million won.
The earlier conviction had put Oh’s mayoral position at risk because South Korean law provides for the loss of elected office if a political funds conviction becomes final with a fine of at least 1 million won.
The case arose from allegations that Oh commissioned opinion polls from political broker Myung Tae-kyun before the 2021 election and arranged for a longtime supporter, businessman Kim Han-jung, to pay for them.
Prosecutors brought charges involving 10 polls and payments totalling 33 million won.
In July, the lower court found Oh guilty in connection with five polls and ruled that Kim’s payment of 21 million won constituted illegal political funding. Oh denied wrongdoing and challenged the verdict.
In overturning the conviction, the appeals court said Myung’s testimony was central to the case but was inconsistent and difficult to believe.
The court concluded that prosecutors had not proved beyond reasonable doubt that Oh commissioned the polls and intended for Kim to pay for them.
The ruling also cleared Kim and former Deputy Mayor Kang Chul-won, who had been indicted alongside Oh over their alleged involvement in the poll arrangements.
The special counsel team led by Min Joong-ki expressed disappointment with the decision and said it would appeal to the Supreme Court.
The appeal means the case may continue through South Korea’s judicial system despite Oh’s acquittal at the appellate level.
Following the ruling, Oh thanked Seoul residents for their support and apologised for causing public concern over the case.
He said he would work harder to repay their trust. The Seoul Metropolitan Government also pledged to continue implementing the mayor’s policies.
The acquittal removes the immediate threat posed by the lower court’s conviction, although the special counsel’s planned appeal leaves the legal dispute unresolved.
