Special counsel pushes 18-month jail for Seoul mayor over illegal poll funding

A team of special prosecutors headed by Min Joong-ki filed a request with the Seoul High Court seeking an 18-month imprisonment for Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon over a political-funds violation involving opinion polls. Oh had previously been fined 10 million won for contravening the Political Funds Act, a penalty that threatens his office because officials lose their seats if fined one million won or more for illegal funding.

Prosecutors allege that a supporter transferred 33 million won to self-styled power broker Myung Tae-kyun for poll data on ten occasions ahead of the April 2021 mayoral by-election; the lower court recognized five poll requests and a payment of 21 million won. Min’s team argued that Oh, as a senior politician, should set a higher standard for compliance and accused him of using a third party to finance the polls. Oh is currently serving his fifth term after winning the June 3 local elections. The case remains pending in the appellate court.