Main opposition welcomes Seoul mayor's acquittal in political funds trial

The Korea Times - Oct 23, 2026

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Friday welcomed an appeals court's decision to acquit Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in a high-stakes political funds case linked to opinion polls ahead of the 2021 mayoral by-election. Oh, who had been fined 10 million won ($7,500) by a lower court for violating the Political Funds Act and was at risk of losing his mayoral post, was acquitted on appeal. He is affiliated with the PPP. "It is a great relief and at the same time only the right thing that the city administration, entrusted to Mayor Oh Se-hoon by ten million residents of Seoul, can continue without disruption," PPP chief spokesperson Park Choong-kwon said in a commentary. "The ruling shows that the truth always prevails in the end, even if it takes time," he said. Oh had been indicted on charges of having a political supporter make payments totaling 33 million won for opinion polls he allegedly received on 10 occasions from self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun ahead of the 2021 election. Under the Political Funds Act, elected officials are stripped of their seats if they receive

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