[Anchor]
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who was sentenced in the first trial to lose his mayoral position over allegations of having a supporter pay for opinion polls, has submitted an appeal and immediately entered preparations for the trial. Although it is still only a first-instance ruling, rival political parties are already closely watching the possibility of a mayoral by-election in Seoul next year.
Reporter Park Chan-beom has the story.
[Reporter]
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was indicted on charges of having a supporter pay for opinion poll costs, and immediately appealed yesterday (the 22nd) after receiving a fine of 10 million won in his first-instance trial, a sentence that would strip him of his mayoral position.
Mayor Oh's side told SBS today, "There is no physical evidence, and this is a case where he was unfairly victimized by a swindler five years ago," adding, "We will focus entirely on preparing for the appellate trial."
As Mayor Oh, a member of the People Power Party, has been considered a potential next-generation presidential candidate, the internal atmosphere of the People Power Party is stirred as members monitor the political fallout.
This is because if the Supreme Court ultimately finalizes a fine of 1 million won or more—the threshold for losing public office—his right to run for election would also be stripped for the next five years, blocking his path to run in the 2030 presidential election.
Within the People Power Party, regardless of factional ties, reactions are focused on statements such as, "The truth must be uncovered in the appellate trial."
[Choi Bo-yoon / Chief Spokesperson for the People Power Party: We hope the appellate court will correct the problems of this ruling through a judgment based solely on law and evidence.]
However, there is also a discernible atmosphere of evaluating the possibility of a Seoul mayoral by-election being held next April or October, and gauging the impact it could have on the internal power dynamics of the conservative opposition bloc.
An aide to People Power Party Representative Chang Dong-hyeok, who has been at odds with Mayor Oh, told SBS, "If a Seoul mayoral by-election takes place next year, it is a major metropolitan election held one year ahead of the 2028 general election, so we have no choice but to keep a close eye on it."
Pro-Han Dong-hoon faction lawmakers of the People Power Party close to independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon—another potential heavyweight dragon in the conservative opposition—as well as the Reform Party led by Representative Lee Jun-seok, who had considered a pan-conservative alliance with Mayor Oh, are refraining from making comments for now.
Within the Democratic Party, there are also observations that the very possibility of a major by-election being held next year, which marks the third year since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, could be a critical variable.
This is because it could take on the character of an interim evaluation ahead of the general election for President Lee Jae-myung or the new leader of the Democratic Party to be elected at the August 17 national convention.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
(Camera Reporter: Lee Seung-hwan, Shin Dong-hwan | Video Editing: Jang Hyun-ki | Design: Jang Chae-woo)
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