(ATTN: CHANGES slug from PPP-Seoul mayor sent earlier; RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more info in paras 2-3, 8-13)
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Friday welcomed an appeals court's decision to acquit Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in a high-stakes political funds trial, while the ruling party called for an immediate appeal.
Oh, who is affiliated with the PPP, had been at risk of losing his mayoral post after a lower court fined him 10 million won (US$7,500) for violating the Political Funds Act in connection with the 2021 mayoral by-election.
The Seoul High Court overturned the lower court's conviction, finding Oh not guilty of the charges.
"It is a great relief and at the same time only the right thing that the city administration, entrusted to Mayor Oh Se-hoon by ten million residents of Seoul, can continue without disruption," PPP chief spokesperson Park Choong-kwon said in a commentary.
"The ruling shows that the truth always prevails in the end, even if it takes time," he said.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (C) is surrounded by reporters as he arrives at the Seoul High Court in southern Seoul on Oct. 23, 2026, to attend his trial on charges of violating the Political Funds Act. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
Oh had been indicted on charges of having a political supporter make payments totaling 33 million won for opinion polls he allegedly received on 10 occasions from self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun ahead of the 2021 election.
Under the Political Funds Act, elected officials are stripped of their seats if they receive a finalized fine of 1 million won or heavier punishment for improper acceptance of political funds.
The ruling Democratic Party (DP) criticized Oh's acquittal as an unreasonable ruling that runs counter to public expectations.
"The (court) dismissed all allegations that the payments were made on his behalf, saying Myung's testimony was not credible," DP senior spokesperson Park Sung-joon said. "The appeals court effectively treated as legitimate money that the lower court had acknowledged as illegal political funds."
Park also slammed the appellate court as a "vending machine" that hands down acquittals, noting that it had acquitted former President Yoon Suk Yeol in a separate case earlier this month.
DP floor leader Han Byung-do echoed the sentiment in a Facebook post, saying the court's ruling defied common sense and failed to meet public expectations.
"We express regret over the appellate court's ruling, which overturned the lower court's conviction," he said.
Han urged a special counsel team investigating Oh's case to immediately appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
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