Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who was indicted over allegations that his public opinion polling costs were paid by a third party, has faced a prison sentence recommendation in his appeal trial.

During the final appeal hearing for Mayor Oh held this afternoon (October 2) by Criminal Division 7 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judge Goo Hoi-keun), the independent counsel team requested, "Please sentence him to one year and six months in prison and an additional collection of 33 million won."

Prison terms of one year were also recommended for co-defendants Kang Cheol-won, former Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs of Seoul, and a businessman surnamed Kim, who served as Oh's financial supporter.

These are the same sentencing recommendations made by the independent counsel team during the first trial.

The independent counsel team pointed out, "Defendant Oh Se-hoon is an influential politician and is in a position where he must comply with the Political Funds Act more than anyone else," adding, "He had a third party pay for public opinion polls closely related to political activities without going through legal procedures."

They emphasized, "He undermined public trust in the rule of law and, despite being the ultimate beneficiary of this crime, has denied the charges and evaded responsibility throughout the investigation and trial process," adding, "A stern punishment is inevitable."

Regarding former Deputy Mayor Kang Cheol-won, the independent counsel team explained, "As Oh Se-hoon's closest aide, he was in a key position to manage overall election campaigns, yet he was responsible for important communication in executing the crime." Regarding Kim, they stated, "He undermined the fairness of the political process by instead paying the public opinion poll costs that Oh Se-hoon's side should have borne."

In his closing argument, Mayor Oh's defense counsel maintained his innocence, stating, "Myung Tae-kyun's statements cannot be trusted, and the charges cannot be recognized simply by looking at the relevant phone call recordings."

In particular, referring to the phone call recording files between Myung and Kim submitted during the previous appeal hearing, the defense emphasized that it is "core impeachment evidence in this case that directly contradicts the facts charged."

The recording file contains statements by Myung to Kim such as, "Anyway, Oh Se-hoon doesn't know. He doesn't know, so don't worry. I'll take care of it," and "Did I ever receive a single ten-won coin from Oh Se-hoon?"

Regarding this, Myung's side submitted a statement to the court on September 30 dismissing it as a "clear misinterpretation," stating, "This was not a conversation discussing whether to conduct public opinion polls for the party primary, but rather a conversation exchanging specific details and execution processes of the opposition unification strategy pursued (with then-candidate Ahn Cheol-soo) immediately after Oh Se-hoon was finalized as the People Power Party's Seoul mayoral candidate."

In his final statement, Mayor Oh claimed, "Asking a person identified as a supporter to pay costs on my behalf is something that can never fit with my political convictions."

Mayor Oh went on to emphasize, "Ever since I entered politics, I have maintained the conviction to be a politician free from money and clean," highlighting that during his term as a freshman lawmaker, he led the passage of the so-called "Oh Se-hoon Act," which included bans on corporate political donations.

At the same time, Mayor Oh said, "I cannot help but feel apologetic and sorry to the public," adding, "I deeply reflect on standing in court because I failed to resolutely cut ties with Myung Tae-kyun and continued to give him room to approach. Everything is my own fault."

Mayor Oh appealed, "I am not afraid of losing my position," but added, "In an era of political distrust, I am afraid that noble politics trusted by the public and politics that painfully guarded principles will be tainted by the hatred and hostility of a mere political broker, causing disappointment to the public and bringing the missions entrusted to me, such as the prosperity of Seoul, to a halt because of fabricated circumstances."

During his final statement, Mayor Oh was also seen choking up and shedding tears on multiple occasions.

Mayor Oh is accused of receiving public opinion poll results a total of 10 times from Myung Tae-kyun ahead of the April 7 Seoul mayoral by-election in 2021 and having businessman Kim, known as his longtime supporter, pay 33 million won in costs instead.

Previously, the first-instance court recognized that Mayor Oh commissioned five public opinion polls from Myung and had Kim pay 21 million won in costs on his behalf, sentencing Mayor Oh to a fine of 10 million won and ordering an additional collection of 21 million won.

It was a sentencing result equivalent to the forfeiture of his mayoral position.

According to Article 57 of the Political Funds Act, anyone sentenced to a fine of 1 million won or more for illegal receipt of political funds is barred from running for or being appointed to public office for five years after the sentence becomes final, and if already appointed or holding office, must step down.

In the first trial, former Deputy Mayor Kang was sentenced to a fine of 3 million won, and Kim to a fine of 5 million won, respectively.

(Photo: Yonhap News)