Ex-President Yoon found guilty in poll data case; Seoul mayor's sentencing looms

A Seoul court has found former President Yoon Suk-yeol guilty in a first-instance trial for receiving free public opinion poll data from political broker Myung Tae-gyun. The ruling on June 13 has intensified scrutiny on Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who faces similar charges in a case involving the same poll data. Oh's sentencing is scheduled for June 22.

The court sentenced Yoon to two years in prison and Myung to one year and six months. The special prosecutor's team had accused Yoon of conspiring with his wife, Kim Keon-hee, to receive 58 instances of poll results favorable to him between April 2021 and March 2022, valued at 270 million won. In return, Yoon allegedly helped in the nomination of candidates, including Kim Young-sun, for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections.

The special prosecutor's team also indicted Oh in December, alleging that he received 10 instances of poll data from Myung ahead of the April 7, 2021, Seoul mayoral by-election. The prosecution claims Oh had a close associate, former Seoul deputy mayor Kang Cheol-won, arrange for a sponsor, businessman Kim Han-jung, to pay 33 million won for the data. The prosecution requested a sentence of one year and six months in prison and a forfeiture of 33 million won for Oh.

Oh has consistently denied the charges, asserting that he never commissioned polls, received their results, or arranged for payment. He described the prosecution's case as a "forced, pieced-together indictment lacking a single piece of solid evidence." If Oh receives a fine of 1 million won or more, he will be forced to resign as mayor, as mandated by the Public Official Election Act and Local Autonomy Act for individuals convicted of political fund violations.

“

There is not a single piece of solid evidence; it's a forced, pieced-together indictment.