Seoul Mayor indicted over alleged illegal polling payments

Seoul Mayor indicted over alleged illegal polling payments

South Korean prosecutors indicted the Mayor of Seoul on Monday (December 1, 2025) for allegedly violating political funding laws.

Oh Se-hoon of the conservative People Power Party is now serving his fourth term as Mayor of South Korea's capital and has long been tipped as a possible future presidential candidate.

Prosecutors accuse him of arranging for a supporter to cover the cost of opinion polling ahead of the 2021 by-election.

They said the 64-year-old Mayor had a businessman pay 33 million won ($22,400) over five occasions to fund polls, in breach of the Political Funds Act.

First elected Seoul Mayor in 2006, Oh returned to office in 2021 following the death by suicide of successor Park Won-soon.

He has consistently topped recent opinion surveys for next year's local elections — a race seen as a potential springboard for a presidential bid if he secures another term.

Under South Korea's election laws, a conviction carrying a fine of one million won or more would strip him of eligibility to run next year.

Published - December 01, 2025 12:11 pm IST

South Korea

Source: The Hindu
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