A South Korean court handed down a guilty verdict Wednesday against Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, convicting him in a political funds case connected to opinion polling conducted ahead of the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election, according to local media reports.
The court determined that Oh had received polling services valued at 21 million won and arranged for a longtime supporter to pay for those services — a move that violated South Korea’s Political Funds Act. In addition to a fine of 10 million won (approximately $6,759), the court ordered the forfeiture of the full 21 million won in question.
The conviction carries serious consequences for Oh, who had won re-election just last June. South Korean law strips elected officials of their positions if they are fined more than 1 million won or sentenced to jail time, meaning Oh could be removed from the mayoralty as a result of this ruling.
(Exchange rate: $1 = 1,479.6 won)
