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Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Cleared of Political Funding Charges on Appeal

Amy Han

On October 23, 2026, the Seoul High Court overturned a lower court ruling against Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, acquitting him of allegations that he violated South Korea's Political Funds Act during his 2021 mayoral election campaign.

The case centered on accusations that Oh had enlisted political broker Myung Tae-kyun to conduct election-related opinion polls and arranged for a longtime supporter, Kim Han-jung, to finance the surveys. Prosecutors alleged that approximately 33 million won had been paid for polling activities associated with Oh's campaign.

In July, a lower court found Oh guilty of certain charges, imposing a 10 million won fine and ordering the forfeiture of an additional 21 million won. Had the conviction become final, the penalty could have jeopardized his position as mayor.

The appellate court reached a different conclusion, determining that prosecutors had failed to present sufficient credible evidence to substantiate the allegations. In particular, the judges raised concerns about inconsistencies in Myung's testimony and the absence of reliable supporting evidence connecting Oh directly to the alleged funding arrangements.

Following the decision, Oh thanked those who had continued to support him throughout the legal proceedings. He also expressed regret over the public concern generated by the investigation and reiterated his commitment to fulfilling his responsibilities as mayor.

The ruling prompted contrasting responses from South Korea's major political parties. The ruling People Power Party welcomed the acquittal, while the opposition Democratic Party questioned the court's decision.

Despite the appellate victory, the legal proceedings may not be over. The special counsel announced plans to challenge the decision before the Supreme Court. However, because the Supreme Court generally focuses on legal interpretation rather than reassessing factual evidence, overturning the acquittal could prove challenging.

South Korea Calls for Military Talks with North over Border Tensions

Sheewon Min

South Korea’s military called for talks with North Korea to clarify the location of their land border and prevent accidental clashes following a series of confrontations in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The proposal came after land mine explosions inside the DMZ on September 21 injured three South Korean soldiers, two seriously. Seoul concluded that North Korean troops had planted the mines south of the military demarcation line, a finding Pyongyang has rejected.

North Korea’s fortification efforts intensified after leader Kim Jong Un declared inter-Korean relations to be those of “two hostile states” in late 2023. Since April 2024, Pyongyang has cleared land, reinforced tactical roads, installed anti-tank barriers and laid mines along the border.

Seoul’s latest proposal came days after Kim’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, visited front-line areas where North Korean troops were reinforcing the border. She threatened retaliation against South Korean provocations and accused Seoul of firing warning shots and issuing warnings under the false pretext that North Korean soldiers had crossed the demarcation line.

South Korean officials say the recent activities have exposed longstanding disagreements over the precise location of the boundary. Established under the 1953 armistice that halted the Korean War, the demarcation line is difficult to identify in some areas because decades-old markers have disappeared.

It remains unclear whether Pyongyang will accept Seoul’s proposal. Kim Jong Un has adopted an increasingly hard-line stance toward the South, suspending virtually all dialogue and cooperation. Meanwhile, North Korea continues to reinforce one of the world’s most heavily militarized borders. Recent reports of North Korean artillery near the western front have added to concerns, although a South Korean military official said the weapons appeared to be older systems rather than newly deployed equipment.

Renewed military talks are essential, even if broader political reconciliation remains out of reach. When boundary markers disappear and both sides interpret troop movements as provocations, the risk of miscalculation grows. Establishing clear communication channels could help prevent a local incident from escalating into a wider confrontation. While dialogue alone cannot resolve decades of hostility, it remains a practical and necessary step toward preserving stability on the Korean Peninsula.

This Week in Korean History

On October 28, 1995, South Korea reached a major economic milestone when its cumulative yearly exports exceeded $100 billion.