Overview
- The Seoul High Court on Oct. 23 acquitted Mayor Oh Se‑hoon of violating the Political Funds Act, reversing a July lower‑court verdict that had fined him 10 million won.
- The appeals panel said key prosecution evidence relied on the testimony of power broker Myung Tae‑kyun and that that testimony plus other material did not prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
- Defence lawyers presented a March 2021 phone recording that they said undercut Myung's account and challenged the admissibility of KakaoTalk messages the lower court used as corroboration.
- Special counsel Min Joong‑ki’s team immediately said it would appeal the acquittal to the Supreme Court, so the case’s final legal outcome and any risk to Oh’s office remain unresolved.
- Reactions split along party lines: the People Power Party hailed the decision as relief for city governance while the Democratic Party criticized the ruling and renewed calls for judicial reform.