Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who received a guilty verdict in the first trial regarding the so-called "Myung Tae-kyun opinion poll cost coverage suspicion" case, stated that he will "maintain municipal administration without wavering" and that "employees will also do their best in their respective positions."

Returning to the Seoul Metropolitan Government after the trial, Mayor Oh told city executives that "Seoul's municipal administration must be operated without any shaking under any circumstances," urging employees to do their best in their assigned duties. He also vowed to lead the administration with a responsible and unwavering attitude to keep his promises to the citizens.

He then expressed regret for causing concern to the employees due to his personal trial, emphasizing that the first-instance ruling contains significant errors in both factual relations and legal interpretation.

He stressed that these errors will be corrected immediately in the higher court.

Mayor Oh's legal team, having been found guilty in the first trial, immediately expressed intentions to appeal and is expected to focus all efforts on securing an acquittal in the second trial.

The camp plans to further substantiate its previous claims that Mayor Oh did not directly commission opinion polls to Myung Tae-kyun or involvement in payment, while focusing on gathering and presenting counter-evidence against the charges recognized by the first-instance court.

The current ruling does not immediately result in Mayor Oh losing his mayoral position or having his eligibility for election restricted.

In the case of elected public officials, a position is forfeited if a prison sentence or a fine of 1 million won or more is finalized for violating the Public Official Election Act.

If he is legally detained during the appellate trial, an acting mayor system will be established in accordance with the Local Autonomy Act.

Furthermore, if a prison sentence or a fine of 1 million won or more is finalized, a by-election for the Seoul mayoral position will be held.

The timing of the by-election is set for next April or October depending on when the sentence resulting in the loss of office is finalized.

With today's guilty verdict, Mayor Oh faces the task of simultaneously managing two fronts for the time being: responding to legal proceedings and operating the 9th popular term municipal administration.

From an administrative standpoint, the prolonged uncertainty poses a greater burden than an immediate vacuum.

Mayor Oh secured his record-breaking fifth term as Seoul mayor in a tight race during the June 3 local elections, after which he has put forward and prioritized housing supply expansion through redevelopment and reconstruction as core tasks of his 9th term.

While he continues to perform his mayoral duties normally, reducing the likelihood of disruption to ongoing projects, budget allocations, and personnel appointments, having to navigate municipal affairs while carrying judicial risk remains a heavy burden.

Some observers suggest that Mayor Oh may accelerate major policies to demonstrate that the administration is unshakeable by judicial risks.

This is because producing tangible results in housing supply, public livelihood, welfare, and urban competitiveness could serve as the most realistic defense strategy to reduce political uncertainty and maintain leadership.

However, if the trial is prolonged, the mayor's whereabouts and legal status may repeatedly draw focus rather than policies, potentially diluting municipal messages.

Policy execution may also face constraints in the process of pursuing new large-scale projects or coordinating budgets and ordinances with the central government and the Seoul Metropolitan Council, where the Democratic Party of Korea holds a majority.

In particular, many of Mayor Oh's core projects—such as expanding housing supply through redevelopment and reconstruction, vitalizing the nighttime economy, expanding Han River and tourism infrastructure, and balanced development of the northern Seoul area—require cooperation from the city council regarding budgets and ordinances.

Attention is also focused on how this ruling will affect Mayor Oh's political standing as a prominent potential presidential candidate for the opposition bloc.

Mayor Oh maintained his position as Seoul mayor and set a record as a five-term metropolitan head while the People Power Party struggled nationwide in the last election.

His expandability toward the metropolitan area and the moderate electorate, alongside abundant administrative experience, are still evaluated as assets distinguishing him from other potential contenders in the opposition.

Recently, he has widened his political footprint by successively meeting with veteran lawmakers of the People Power Party to broaden intra-party contact and voice opinions on party operations and the direction of conservative reconstruction.

However, the first-instance guilty verdict has opened up the possibility for the ruling camp to step up offensive strategies and for rival intra-party competitors to raise issues regarding his morality and general election competitiveness.

On the other hand, some forecasts suggest that Mayor Oh's camp could frame this investigation, indictment, and first-instance ruling as a political offensive, utilizing it as an opportunity to rally supporters and elevate his presence within the conservative bloc.

In particular, securing an acquittal in a subsequent appellate trial could go far beyond recovering from the political blow, potentially creating a narrative of overcoming a difficult judicial environment, though the possibility remains that he could ultimately face stepping down from the mayoral post depending on the Supreme Court's ruling.
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)