"Fabricated Charges, Indictment Destined for Acquittal"
PPP Deems It "Political Oppression"... Nomination Process Unlikely to Be Affected
"A Blatant Political Scheme and Clear Intervention in Local Elections"
Democratic Party Launches Coordinated Offensive... Ruling Bloc Candidates Begin to Mobilize
Oh Sehun, Mayor of Seoul, is facing increased political pressure following the indictment by a special prosecutor team investigating allegations of proxy payment for a public opinion poll. However, he expressed his determination to confront the situation head-on, stating, "I will not be affected." Within the People Power Party, this indictment is being interpreted as falling under the exception clause for 'significant reasons such as political oppression,' and therefore, there is an interpretation that there is no issue with granting him eligibility to run in the primary.
On December 2, a senior official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government stated, "This case is not complicated. The claims made by Myung Taegyun's side lack both evidence and substance, so it will not take long for the court to reach a decision," adding, "It will not affect the administration of city affairs or the judgment of Seoul citizens."
The so-called "Myung Taegyun public opinion poll allegation" is being investigated by the special prosecutor team led by Min Junggi, which indicted Mayor Oh the previous day on charges of violating the Political Funds Act. Mayor Oh is accused of receiving poll results from Mr. Myung ahead of the April 7, 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election, and having businessman Kim Hanjung, known as a supporter, pay the costs on his behalf. The special prosecutor team judged Kim's payment as an illegal donation prohibited under Article 45, Paragraph 1 of the Political Funds Act.
Immediately after the indictment announcement, Mayor Oh argued, "This is a politically motivated prosecution orchestrated by the Democratic Party's special prosecutor to bring down Oh Sehun," and called it "an excessive and baseless indictment with not a single piece of proper evidence, and a prosecution destined for acquittal."
Regarding the upcoming local elections in June next year, he made it clear that he effectively intends to run, stating, "I will not be affected at all by this attempt to bring down Oh Sehun." Even before the indictment was announced, Mayor Oh had maintained that the decision by the special prosecutor would not influence his determination to run for Seoul mayor again.
Some observers suggest that this could become a variable in the People Power Party's nomination process for Seoul mayor. According to party regulations, anyone indicted on charges of bribery, illegal political funds, or abuse of power is immediately suspended from eligibility to run in any party primary or contest.
However, if a disciplined party member requests a retrial, the party leader may, with the approval of the Central Ethics Committee, cancel or suspend the disciplinary action if it is recognized that there are significant reasons such as political oppression. This means that if the Ethics Committee imposes a disciplinary action according to party rules, but the leadership later judges the special prosecutor's investigation into Kim Keonhee as political oppression, the Ethics Committee can be convened again to overturn the decision. The party leadership has consistently defined this special prosecution as political oppression. On this day as well, they criticized it as "a blatant political scheme targeting Mayor Oh and a clear intervention in the local elections."
The ruling bloc launched a concerted offensive. Jeon Hyunhee, a Democratic Party lawmaker who resigned from her position as Supreme Council member the previous day to run for Seoul mayor, stated, "If the charges brought by the special prosecutor are confirmed by a court ruling, Mayor Oh will have no way to avoid punishment for the illegal receipt of political funds," and added, "If the indictment is true, Mayor Oh, who deceived citizens and was elected through an illegal poll, does not deserve to run for office, let alone remain as mayor."
Movements among Democratic Party contenders for Seoul mayor are also intensifying. Sitting lawmakers such as Park Honggeun, Seo Youngkyo, Park Jumin, Kim Youngbae, and Ko Minjung, as well as Jeong Wono, Mayor of Seongdong District, and former lawmakers Park Yongjin and Hong Ikpyo, are expected to join the race. There also remains the possibility that Prime Minister Kim Minseok or Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hunsik could be drafted as candidates.
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