Special counsel indicts Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, others for Political Funds Act violations
Published: 01 Dec. 2025, 17:55
Updated: 01 Dec. 2025, 19:20
![Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon listens during a parliamentary audit of the Seoul Metropolitan Government by the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee at City Hall in central Seoul on Oct. 23. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/01/eb04baa3-b759-4875-94c5-1f26e6ed917b.jpg)
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon listens during a parliamentary audit of the Seoul Metropolitan Government by the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee at City Hall in central Seoul on Oct. 23. [NEWS1]
A special counsel team investigating first lady Kim Keon Hee announced Monday that it has indicted Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, former Seoul Vice Mayor for Political Affairs Kang Cheol-won and business owner Kim Han-jung without detention on charges of violating the Political Funds Act.
Oh is accused of asking political broker Myung Tae-kyun to conduct public opinion polls related to the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election and instructing Kang, who was the chief of staff of his campaign, to coordinate the survey with Myung, according to the special counsel. Oh is also suspected of asking Kim to help cover the cost of the polls.
Investigators said Myung conducted a total of 10 public and private opinion polls on the mayoral by-election between Jan. 22 and Feb. 28, 2021, at Oh’s request. Kang allegedly communicated with Myung about the poll process, exchanging questionnaires and other materials.
Kim is accused of paying a total of 33 million won ($22,460) to Myung on five occasions between Feb. 1 and Mar. 26, 2021, to fund the surveys.
The special counsel’s office said Monday it “will make every effort to maintain the indictment.”
Oh has consistently denied the allegations, saying he neither commissioned the polls nor received their results. He also said he had no connection to Kim’s payments.
![Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon answers a question about the Hangang Bus plan at the Seoul Metropolitan Council in central Seoul on Nov. 20. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/01/99e21f37-7c67-402b-aaed-3bd8437ee18a.jpg)
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon answers a question about the Hangang Bus plan at the Seoul Metropolitan Council in central Seoul on Nov. 20. [YONHAP]
In a statement issued Monday under Oh’s name, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said, “This indictment by the special counsel is nothing more than a politically motivated move in service of the Lee Jae Myung administration, and the truth will soon come to light.”
“The special counsel ignored both the law and conscience and pressed forward with a politically ordered indictment without evidence or substance,” the statement continued. “It is clear that this case was tailored to fit a predetermined conclusion.”
“The Democratic Party’s politically driven attempt to destroy Mayor Oh will not succeed,” the statement added. “We will face this fight with confidence, alongside the citizens of Seoul.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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