Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon acquitted on appeal in opinion poll funding case
The Seoul High Court on Friday overturned Oh Se-hoon's 10 million won fine over polls paid for by a supporter, removing the threat that he would lose his post as mayor of South Korea's capital.
At a glance
- The Seoul High Court acquitted Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Friday, October 23, 2026, of violating the Political Funds Act.
- The ruling overturns a July conviction that fined Oh 10 million won (about $7,500) and ordered 21 million won forfeited; a final fine of 1 million won or more would have cost him his post.
- Former vice mayor Kang Chul-won and businessman Kim Han-jung, who allegedly paid for the polls, were also acquitted.
- The court said the testimony of political broker Myung Tae-kyun, virtually the only evidence, was not credible.
- The Democratic Party called the verdict out of touch with public common sense and urged the special counsel to appeal to the Supreme Court.
South Korea's appeals court has cleared Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in the case over opinion polls that a supporter allegedly paid for. On Friday, October 23, 2026, the Seoul High Court overturned his July conviction under the Political Funds Act. That conviction carried a 10 million won fine, and if it had become final Oh would have lost his job as mayor of the capital. The court said the main witness against him could not be believed.
What the court decided
Criminal Division 7 of the Seoul High Court, led by Judge Ku Hoe-keun, gave its ruling on Friday afternoon, Seoul time. The panel acquitted all three defendants:
| Defendant | Role | First trial (July 2026) | Appeal (Oct 23, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oh Se-hoon | Seoul mayor | Guilty, 10 million won fine, 21 million won forfeiture | Acquitted |
| Kang Chul-won | Former Seoul vice mayor | Tried with Oh | Acquitted |
| Kim Han-jung | Businessman who paid for the polls | Tried with Oh | Acquitted |
Prosecutors said political broker Myung Tae-kyun ran 10 opinion polls worth a total of 33 million won before the April 7, 2021, Seoul mayoral by-election. The lower court found that Oh asked for five of them and that Kim's payment of 21 million won for those polls was illegal political funding.
The appeals court saw it differently. It said Myung's testimony, which it called "virtually the only evidence", was hard to believe as a whole. The judges pointed to:
- inconsistencies in his account, which became more detailed as the investigation went on;
- the fact that he began giving detailed statements only in December 2024, when Oh's plan to file a complaint against him became public;
- his resentment that his help to the campaign had not been recognised;
- an audio recording in which Myung said Oh "doesn't know" about the payments;
- the unusual use of traceable bank transfers.
The court accepted that Oh and Kang met Myung several times and that Kim paid money. But it said these facts did not prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Background
The case grew out of the wider scandal around Myung Tae-kyun, a broker who ran polls for several conservative politicians. A special counsel team led by Min Joong-ki took over the investigation. At the final appeal hearing on October 2, it asked for an 18-month prison sentence for Oh and forfeiture of 33 million won, the same request it made at the first trial.
Under South Korea's Political Funds Act, an elected official who receives a final fine of 1 million won or more for improperly accepting political funds loses office. The July conviction had put Oh's position at risk, so Friday's verdict was closely watched. The court allowed the ruling to be broadcast live.
Reactions
The ruling Democratic Party reacted angrily. Floor leader Han Byung-do said he regretted a verdict that "does not meet the common sense or expectations of the public". He said the court had accepted only the mayor's side and that the special counsel must appeal immediately.
Cho Kuk, of the Rebuilding Korea Party, called the ruling a counterattack of "judicial politics" and blamed the failure to push through judicial reform.
Oh, a senior figure in the conservative People Power Party, smiled as he arrived at court. His lawyers had argued throughout that Myung's account was not credible.
Why it matters
Oh runs a city of nearly 10 million people and is one of the best-known conservative politicians in South Korea. A final conviction would have forced him out of office and damaged the opposition. The acquittal lets him stay in post and keeps him in national politics. Shares in companies seen by traders as linked to Oh also jumped after the verdict.
The ruling also adds to the dispute between President Lee Jae-myung's Democratic Party and the courts over judicial reform.
What happens next
The special counsel can appeal to the Supreme Court, and the Democratic Party is urging it to do so. Prosecutors usually have seven days to file. The Supreme Court reviews only questions of law, not the facts, so it would decide whether the High Court applied the law correctly. Until any final ruling, Oh stays in office.
Questions people are asking
Was Oh Se-hoon found guilty?
No. On October 23, 2026, the Seoul High Court acquitted Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on appeal, overturning a July lower-court verdict that had fined him 10 million won under the Political Funds Act.
Will Oh Se-hoon lose his job as Seoul mayor?
Not after this ruling. Under South Korea's Political Funds Act an elected official loses office only if a fine of 1 million won or more becomes final; the acquittal removes that threat unless the Supreme Court later overturns it.
What was the Oh Se-hoon opinion poll case about?
Prosecutors said businessman Kim Han-jung paid 21 million won for opinion polls run by political broker Myung Tae-kyun for Oh before the April 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election, which would amount to illegal political funding. The appeals court found the evidence insufficient.
