Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon won a political reprieve after an appeals court acquitted him of violating the Political Funds Act in a case tied to allegations that a third party covered the cost of opinion polls conducted by Myung Tae-kyun. A Supreme Court ruling is still pending, but the chances of a reversal on the facts are slim, easing the pressure on him. With the legal risk that had weighed on him lifted, Oh is expected to gain momentum in running the city and in his bid for the presidency. Analysts say the ruling will also affect the internal balance of power within the People Power Party.
Oh spoke to reporters on the 23rd after the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 7, presided over by Senior Judge Ku Hoe-keun, overturned a lower court ruling that had imposed a 10 million won fine and a 21 million won forfeiture, and acquitted him instead. "I held an election in the middle of the trial, and I sincerely thank the citizens of Seoul who believed in my innocence and voted to let me serve as mayor again," Oh said immediately after the ruling. "I was also able to hold on thanks to the people who never withdrew their trust and gave me courage and hope, even while I was under suspicion during the trial."
Many in political circles had expected Oh would struggle to overturn a sentence that would have cost him his post. The first-instance court imposed a fine of 10 million won, far above the 1 million won threshold that triggers loss of office, so even if some charges were dismissed, a reduction to a level allowing him to keep the mayoralty appeared unlikely.
But the court defied expectations, acquitting not only Oh but also former Seoul vice mayor for political affairs Kang Chul-won and Kim Han-jung, described as a backer. Conservative opposition figures, who watched the live broadcast of the ruling with tension, welcomed it as justice served. Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, wrote on Facebook, citing past remarks by President Lee Jae-myung that "prosecutors indict people on baseless charges and then appeal to higher courts to shield themselves when acquittals come, inflicting suffering on the public." Jang added: "The special counsel who brought a baseless indictment must take responsibility. Drop the hopeless appeal to the Supreme Court at once." Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon said, "I am relieved that the appeals court today corrected the first-instance ruling without yielding to the blatant and vulgar pressure from Democratic Party politicians such as party leader Kim Min-seok and Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair Seo Young-kyo."
Some predict Oh's political revival will reshape the broader conservative camp. With significant internal resistance to Jang, who has been at the center of the conservative bloc, Oh could assert himself as a new rallying point. If Oh moves to expand his base among centrist and moderate conservatives, a contest for leadership with the party's mainstream faction led by Jang could unfold.
Song Young-hoon, a former People Power Party spokesperson, said, "For Jang, who has sidelined Oh and even called for nationwide re-elections, the blow is bound to be heavy." He added, "As the share of centrist and moderate conservatives grows, it will ultimately narrow Jang's standing." Others say the political space for anti-Jang contenders outside the party, including Han and former New Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok, could widen as well.
Factional conflict could also reignite once the parliamentary audit and the year-end budget season pass and competition for the People Power Party convention heats up in the first half of next year. With Jang, who is set to break the record for the longest-serving party leader on the 25th of this month, reportedly weighing another run for the leadership, whether centrist and moderate conservatives coalesce is expected to be a variable in the party's power structure.
Still, some caution that the acquittal alone is unlikely to upend the conservative presidential field right away. Shin Yul, a professor of political science and diplomacy at Myongji University, said, "Among polls on leading presidential contenders, only one has placed Oh first." He added, "The People Power Party may find significance in the fact that a leading presidential contender has survived, but it is hard to say this ruling will reshape the presidential race."
The Democratic Party, meanwhile, pushed back, saying it expressed "strong regret." Park Seong-jun, the party's chief spokesperson, said in a briefing at the National Assembly, "Yoon Suk-yeol acquitted, Oh Se-hoon acquitted — is this bench an acquittal vending machine?" He called it "a ruling that defies common sense." Kim also said, "It is difficult to understand or accept, either legally or by common sense," adding, "The Supreme Court still has its chance, so I expect a rigorous judgment."
Within the Democratic Party, however, there was also a sense of relief in some quarters, as worsening public sentiment over housing would have made the outcome of a Seoul mayoral by-election hard to predict. A senior ruling party lawmaker from the greater Seoul area said, "The Seoul mayoral race was never an easy one to win, and the housing issue has made it harder." The lawmaker added, "Focusing on the Gangneung by-election is better for the party as well."