Uiryeong Gov. Oh Tae-wan indicted for spreading false information while seeking third term
Oh Tae-wan, the governor of Uiryeong County in South Gyeongsang Province, has been indicted without detention on charges of spreading false information about a rival candidate during the June 3 local election campaign. From his first election victory to his current bid for a third term, Oh has ended up in court every time he has run for office.
The Changwon District Prosecutors' Office's Masan Branch indicted Oh without detention on May 13 on charges of publishing false facts under the Public Official Election Act. The charges stem from a campaign speech Oh gave on May 31 in front of an apartment complex in Uiryeong, in which he suggested that Kang Won-deok, then a candidate of the People Power Party, had been buying votes by giving residents money and goods. Kang's side filed a complaint with police, claiming the remarks were false.
Oh's legal troubles under election law began when he was first elected county governor in the 2021 Uiryeong by-election. The problem was that he had falsely listed his career in election materials as "equivalent to Grade 1 political aide to the Gyeongsangnam-do provincial government" and "equivalent to Grade 2 policy director." The court fined him 800,000 won in November of that year, and the sentence was finalized as neither side appealed.
The trials continued even after his second-term victory. Oh was indicted on charges of having his promotional staff send 110,000 campaign text messages between March and May 2022 ahead of the June 1 local election, paying 9 million won in four installments in return. Although prosecutors declined to indict him for lack of evidence, the Busan High Court's Changwon Division approved a request for a formal indictment, sending the case to trial. However, the Changwon District Court's Masan Branch acquitted him in 2024, finding the charges not proven beyond reasonable doubt, and the acquittal was finalized as prosecutors did not appeal.
Regarding the latest indictment, Oh's side explained: "There were multiple tips at the time, but I never definitively stated who gave the money," adding, "We have materials proving the remarks were not false." He continued: "Despite submitting opinions to the police and prosecutors, it is baffling that I was indicted immediately, even though considerable time remained before the statute of limitations expired. Since candidate Kang was also charged with violating the Public Official Election Act, I believe the investigations will reveal whether money actually changed hands and whether my remarks were true."
Criminal Division 1 of the Changwon District Court's Masan Branch will hold a preparatory hearing for the case on the 25th. Depending on the outcome, Oh's ability to complete his third term remains uncertain.
