▲ Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 17th to attend the final hearing of his first trial regarding the 'Myung Tae-kyun opinion poll allegations.'
Prosecutors have requested a one-year and six-month prison sentence for Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is charged with receiving opinion poll results from "political broker" Myung Tae-kyun and having a donor cover the costs on his behalf.
The special counsel team led by Min Joong-ki requested the sentence, along with a forfeiture of 33 million won, during the final hearing for Mayor Oh’s alleged violation of the Political Funds Act, held today (the 17th) at the Seoul Central District Court (presided over by Judge Jo Hyung-woo).
Kang Cheol-won, former Vice Mayor for Political Affairs of Seoul, and businessman Kim Han-jung, who were indicted alongside the mayor, each face a requested sentence of one year in prison.
The special counsel team stated, "As a prominent politician, Mayor Oh was in a position where he should have adhered to the Political Funds Act more than anyone else. However, he undermined the legislative purpose of ensuring transparency in political funding by having a third party pay for opinion polls closely related to his political activities, bypassing legal procedures."
The prosecution further emphasized, "He damaged public trust in the legal order by evading regulations regarding the receipt of political funds. Furthermore, despite being the ultimate beneficiary of the crime, he has denied the charges and avoided responsibility throughout the investigation and trial process."
Mayor Oh was indicted without detention last December on charges of receiving opinion poll results from Myung on 10 occasions ahead of the April 7, 2021, Seoul mayoral by-election, and having Kim, known as a long-time supporter, pay the 33 million won in costs on his behalf.
Kang, who served as the chief of staff for the mayor's campaign at the time, was indicted alongside him on charges of being involved in the opinion polls, including communicating with Myung and exchanging survey questionnaires under the mayor's direction.
Kim was also brought to trial for violating the Political Funds Act by paying the political expenses that should have been covered by Mayor Oh.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.