Seoul Mayor Faces Removal After Fine for Illegal Polling

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is at risk of losing his position after being fined for violating political funds laws in connection with illegal opinion polling, local media reported on Wednesday. The Seoul Central District Court imposed a fine of 10 million won (approximately 12,130 rupiah per won) on Oh, a ruling that could strip him of his mayoralty if confirmed by the Supreme Court. The court found that Oh had commissioned opinion polls, with the costs covered by a supporter. The court subsequently deemed the financing of the polls by Oh’s supporter as an illegal political fund. A team led by Min Joong-ki, a special counsel heading an investigation into alleged corruption involving former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee, had sought a one-and-a-half-year prison sentence for Oh. The Seoul mayor has reportedly announced plans to appeal the court’s decision. Oh was indicted without detention in December 2025 on charges of receiving the results of 10 opinion polls ahead of the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election, in a contest against Myung Tae-kyun, a self-styled political broker. Oh had asked his long-time financial supporter, Kim Han-jung, to cover the costs of the polls. If Oh is fined more than 1 million won in the final ruling, expected by the end of this year, he will be removed from his post as mayor. On 13 July, former President Yoon Suk-yeol was sentenced to two years in prison for conspiring with his wife to receive tailored opinion polls from the same political broker on 58 occasions ahead of the 2022 presidential election.