Special Counsel Pushes to Identify Mayor Oh as Client Behind Opinion Poll Payments

The special counsel team for the impeachment of Cho Kuk has submitted a written opinion containing the first-instance trial verdict from former President Yoon Suk Yeol's 'illegal opinion poll receipt' case to the court handling the allegations regarding Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's 'suspicion of third-party payment for opinion polls.' The counsel sought a prison sentence of one year and six months, along with a fine of 33 million won, for Mayor Oh at the sentencing hearing last month.

In the written opinion, the counsel argued that 'Mayor Oh stated he needed an opinion poll that would beat Na Kyung-won, and Mr. Myung manipulated the results to that end,' claiming the Mayor should be viewed as the de facto client. The counsel countered the defense by arguing that if Mr. Kim Han-jeong were the actual client, Mr. Myung would have had no reason to adjust the results in Mayor Oh's favor.

Mayor Oh denies the charges, stating he neither commissioned the opinion poll from Mr. Myung nor asked for the costs to be covered by a third party. Mr. Kim Han-jeong has stated that he commissioned the opinion poll solely for personal viewing and that it was unrelated to Mayor Oh.