Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon fined $6,760 in political funds case, threatening mayorship if upheld

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was convicted Wednesday of violating the Political Funds Act and fined 10 million won ($6,760) over opinion polls conducted by political broker Myung Tae-kyun.

The sentence, if upheld on appeal, would strip Oh of his mayorship, dealing a critical blow to the political career of one of the nation's most prominent conservative heavyweights.

The five-term mayor said he would appeal immediately.

The Seoul Central District Court found that Oh commissioned Myung to conduct five opinion polls ahead of the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election and asked businessman and longtime supporter Kim Han-jung to cover 21 million won in polling costs.

“The defendant requested his supporter to pay the polling costs,” the court said in the ruling, adding that the payment constituted an illegal political contribution under the act.

“Having served as both a lawmaker and mayor, he had been well aware of the act, but he has kept denying his responsibility ...

A sentence that would make him lose the public post is inevitable,” it said.

Under Korean law, elected officials lose their office ...