Suspicion of Paid-for Opinion Polls: Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Faces 1st-Instance Ruling Today

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The first-instance ruling for Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who was indicted on allegations of receiving opinion polls from political broker Myung Tae-kyun and having someone else pay the costs, will be delivered this afternoon (the 22nd). As Mayor Oh, who succeeded in winning a historic fifth term in the last local elections, has his mayoral tenure hanging in the balance, attention is focused even more intently on the ruling.

Reporter Jung Hye-jin has the details.

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The 22nd Criminal Settlement Division of the Seoul Central District Court is scheduled to deliver its first-instance ruling at 2 p.m. today regarding Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon concerning the suspicion of Myung Tae-kyun paying for opinion polls.

Mayor Oh was indicted without detention in December of last year on charges of receiving opinion poll results a total of 10 times from political broker Myung Tae-kyun ahead of the April 7 by-election in 2021, and having a long-time supporter and businessman surnamed Kim pay 33 million won on his behalf for the poll costs.

During the sentencing hearing last month, the independent counsel team investigating Kim Keon-hee demanded a prison sentence of one year and six months, along with an additional collection of 33 million won, for Mayor Oh.

The key issue in this case is whether there was a "meeting of the minds" between Mayor Oh and Myung regarding the conduct and provision of the opinion polls.

Regarding the opinion poll allegations involving former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife and Myung, which share a similar structure to Mayor Oh's case, Kim Keon-hee was previously acquitted in both the first and second instances.

However, the first-instance court recently found former President Yoon guilty, ruling that there was a "tacit meeting of the minds."

Following Mayor Oh's first-instance ruling today, the Supreme Court ruling for Kim Keon-hee regarding the "Myung Tae-kyun opinion poll allegations" is scheduled for the day after tomorrow.

Attention is focused on how the Supreme Court's ruling on Kim's "Myung Tae-kyun allegations" will impact Mayor Oh's subsequent appellate and Supreme Court trials.

In addition, these trial outcomes are expected to influence the political future of Mayor Oh, who succeeded in becoming the first local government head to win five terms in the last local elections.

The first-instance court is scheduled to broadcast today's sentencing hearing for Mayor Oh through recorded footage.

(Video Editing: Wi Won-yang)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.