Oh Se-hoon on allegation that Myung Tae-kyun covered polling costs: "Trial schedule and election period exactly coincide... I am suspicious"

According to The Financial News, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is accused of receiving opinion polling services from political broker Myung Tae-kyun and having a third party pay for them, is now standing trial in earnest.
On the 4th, Oh appeared for the first hearing on his alleged violation of the Political Funds Act, held before the 22nd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Cho Hyung-woo.
Before entering the courtroom, Oh told reporters, "The trial dates and the election period coincide exactly," and argued, "Since September 2024, I have repeatedly urged the investigative authorities to conduct a swift investigation, but in the end that did not happen, and the schedule has ended up matching the election period."
He went on to say, "The Kim Keon Hee Special Prosecutor Team, led by Special Counsel Min Joong-ki, began its work in July last year, summoned me in November, and then indicted me in December," adding, "As a result, the hearings now overlap with March and April, when the election campaign is in full swing. I believe many citizens can easily guess what this implies."
He also remarked, "It is far too suspicious for this to be dismissed as a mere coincidence."
When asked by reporters whether he maintains that he never commissioned opinion polls from Myung, Oh did not respond and proceeded into the courthouse.
Prosecutors allege that between January 22 and February 28, 2021, over a total of 10 occasions, Oh received both published and unpublished opinion polls related to the Seoul mayoral by-election from Myung, and had businessman Kim Han-jung cover the costs. The special counsel team believes that Oh contacted Myung through Kang Cheol-won, his then chief of staff and former deputy mayor for political affairs of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, received the polling results, and then asked Kim to pay a total of 33 million won into an account held by Kang Hae-kyung, deputy director of the Future Korea Research Institute, which they say was effectively controlled by Myung.
theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter