Seoul mayor calls for People Power Party unity after appeal acquittal
In short
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon urged unity in the People Power Party on October 24, a day after being acquitted on appeal of violating political funding law. He said he would work to bring together people with differing views while focusing on Seoul's administration.
Read the full story 1 min read
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said on October 24 that he would work to unite the People Power Party, a day after an appeals court acquitted him of violating political funding law. Speaking to reporters after a photojournalists' family sports event at the National Assembly, he said a united party should offer alternatives to the government as the general election approaches. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Oh said he would do his best to bring together people with differing views and philosophies. He criticized President Lee Jae-myung's government over housing, saying rising sale prices, lump-sum rental deposits and monthly rents were causing hardship for ordinary and vulnerable households. He called for changes to policies that he said excessively require owner occupancy and said the government had not listened to his repeated proposals. [ 1 , 2 , 7 ]
The mayor also urged the governing camp to exercise restraint over demands to impeach Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae (조희대) following his acquittal. Oh said judicial independence depends on respect from the executive and legislature. Asked about longer-term preparations as a potential presidential contender, he instead emphasized his immediate focus on Seoul's administration and residents' physical and mental health. [ 1 , 2 ]
Korea Economic Daily reported that the appeal reversed a lower-court fine of 10 million won. The case concerned allegations that Oh received polling results before the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election and had a businessman pay the costs. Newsis reported that Oh attended the fourth-anniversary memorial for the Itaewon disaster on October 24, along with a Buddhist ceremony and a ceremony marking Sweden's donation of stone. An Oh representative later told Newsis that many of his appointments had been scheduled regardless of the appeal ruling. [ 7 , 11 , 14 ]
Why it matters
The appeal overturned a lower-court conviction that had put Oh's mayoral position at risk. His remarks linked party unity to offering alternatives to the government's policies, particularly housing.
Key facts
- Oh called for People Power Party unity at a National Assembly event on October 24. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- He was acquitted on appeal of violating political funding law on October 23. [ 5 , 9 ]
- Oh called for a change to housing policies that he said excessively require owner occupancy. [ 1 , 7 ]
- He urged restraint over calls to impeach Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae (조희대). [ 1 , 2 ]