Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon acquitted on appeal... “Myeong Tae-gyun’s testimony is hard to believe” (Breaking)

[Financial News] Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was acquitted on appeal. The court did not find the key piece of evidence—political fixer Myeong Tae-gyun’s testimony—credible.
The Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 7 (Presiding Judge Koo Hoe-geun) acquitted Mayor Oh on the afternoon of the 23rd of violating the Political Funds Act. The first-instance ruling, which had imposed a fine of 10 million won, was completely overturned. The court said, “Myeong Tae-gyun’s testimony is the only testimony on the key issues,” and “there is insufficient evidence to prove the charges.”
Mayor Oh was accused of commissioning opinion polls from Myeong just before the April 7, 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election and having a supporter identified only as Kim pay the costs on his behalf.
Last July, the first-instance court imposed a fine of 10 million won and ordered the forfeiture of 210 million won. It found that the costs of five of the 10 opinion polls had indeed been paid on Oh’s behalf and found him guilty in connection with those polls. It acquitted him on the rest, concluding that Myeong may have provided those polls on his own.
A recording of a phone call between Kim and Myeong became a key factor in the appeal. In the recording, Myeong said, “Oh Se-hoon doesn’t know. He doesn’t know, so don’t worry. I’ll take care of it,” and added, “I handled it discreetly for the mayor.”
Oh’s side has cited this part of the recording as evidence that Kim commissioned the opinion polls from Myeong without Oh’s knowledge.
The panel that delivered the appellate ruling that day was also the one that acquitted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on the 7th in the case involving opinion polls provided free of charge.
 
[email protected] Choi Eun-sol Reporter