Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Argues Indictment Was Politically Motivated Ahead of Verdict

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's legal team has submitted a statement to the court, arguing that the special prosecutor's indictment against him was a politically motivated and targeted prosecution. The defense asserts that the charges, related to an alleged illegal opinion poll, were brought without sufficient evidence and timed strategically just before the local elections on June 3rd. In their submission to the Seoul Central District Court, Oh's lawyers stated that the special prosecutor is misrepresenting the situation by claiming that the possibility of Oh losing public office should not be considered in determining guilt or sentencing. The core of their argument is that the indictment occurred at a politically sensitive moment and lacked concrete evidence. The defense also highlighted that Oh's case is distinct from a previous ruling where former President Yoon Suk-yeol was convicted for a similar issue involving opinion polls, emphasizing that the current case requires further corroboration because a businessman, identified as Mr. Kim, allegedly covered the costs. The first-instance sentencing for Mayor Oh is scheduled to be announced soon.

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The special prosecutor's indictment was a targeted prosecution without evidence.