Prosecutors Seek 18-Month Prison Sentence for Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon; Mayor Vows to Consider Legal Action Against Prosecutors

[Anchor]

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who was indicted on charges of having a businessman pay for public opinion polls on his behalf, is facing a demand for an 18-month prison sentence from prosecutors. Mayor Oh has pushed back, claiming the indictment was a politically motivated move timed to coincide with the local elections.

Reporter Jang Hoon-kyung has the story.

[Reporter]

Mayor Oh Se-hoon was indicted on charges of receiving public opinion poll services from Myung Tae-kyun ahead of the Seoul mayoral by-election in April 2021, and subsequently having a donor, Kim Han-jung, pay the 33 million won cost on his behalf.

[Myung Tae-kyun (November of last year): (How would Kim Han-jung) make the deposit? Someone must have given the order, and someone must have connected them, right? That person is Oh Se-hoon.]

During the final hearing held yesterday (June 17), the special counsel team investigating First Lady Kim Keon-hee requested an 18-month prison sentence for Mayor Oh and the forfeiture of 33 million won.

The special counsel team stated, "As a prominent politician, he undermined the legislative purpose of ensuring transparency in political funds by having a third party pay for public opinion poll costs without following legal procedures."

They further emphasized that despite being the ultimate beneficiary of the crime, the mayor has consistently denied the charges and evaded responsibility throughout the investigation and trial process.

The special counsel team also requested one-year prison sentences for former Seoul Vice Mayor for Political Affairs Kang Cheol-won and the donor, Kim, who were indicted alongside the mayor.

Mayor Oh strongly protested the request.

In his closing statement, Mayor Oh argued, "I was indicted based solely on the words of Myung Tae-kyun and the testimony of people who claim to have heard him, without a single piece of direct evidence."

Mayor Oh claimed he was indicted by prosecutors who are subservient to politics, and he was even interrupted by the presiding judge after questioning the special counsel team on whether they felt honorable.

[Oh Se-hoon/Mayor of Seoul: This was a directed indictment specifically planned to align with the local election schedule. Once the court's verdict is delivered, I intend to consider filing charges for the crime of legal distortion (against the special counsel team).]

If a fine of 1 million won or more is finalized for violating the Political Funds Act, Mayor Oh will lose his position as mayor.

The first-instance ruling is scheduled for July 22.

(Video Editing: Kim Jin-won)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.