The special counsel team of Min Joong-ki on Wednesday requested an 18-month prison sentence for Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon at the Seoul Central District Court on charges related to the acceptance of illegal political funds, according to court proceedings. The team also sought forfeiture of 33 million won, about $21,800.
Oh, who was indicted in December on charges of violating the Political Funds Act, is accused of allowing a political supporter, Kim Han-jung, to make payments for opinion poll results he received from self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun. Prosecutors said Oh received poll results on 10 occasions from Myung ahead of the April 2021 mayoral by-election, which Oh won.
“Despite being in a position to follow the Political Funds Act more than anyone else as a prominent politician, Mayor Oh undermined the legislative purpose of ensuring transparency of political funds by making a third person pay for costs of opinion polls closely related to political activities without following legal procedures,” the special counsel team said in a statement.
The team also sought a one-year prison term for Kim Han-jung and for former Seoul Deputy Mayor Kang Cheol-won, both of whom were indicted in the case.
In his final statement at the court hearing, Oh pushed back against the charges, saying he had been indicted by prosecutors “subordinate to politics” and called his indictment “very immoral.”
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 22.