[COVER STORY] Acquittal revives Seoul mayor's presidential prospects

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s acquittal in Seoul on Friday eased a threat to his tenure and gave him more room to pursue his agenda and strengthen his standing in the People Power Party. The Seoul High Court overturned a July ruling that fined him 10 million won and ordered him to forfeit 21 million won, but special counsel Min Joong-ki’s team said it would appeal to the Supreme Court. Oh’s legal victory keeps his presidential prospects alive, though experts said it alone would not broaden his support or reshape the party. He is expected to focus on Seoul projects and rallying his core supporters.

Oh defeated Democratic Party of Korea candidate Chong Won-o in June, becoming the first person elected Seoul mayor for five terms.

In a Gallup Korea survey conducted earlier this month, Oh had a 30 percent favorability rating, followed by Han Dong-hoon at 23 percent, Kim Min-seok at 21 percent and Jang Dong-hyeok at 14 percent.

The survey measured personal favorability, not presidential voting intentions.

Political science professor Shin Yul said Oh could rally new conservatives but noted there was no pro-Oh faction in the National Assembly.

Hanyang University professor Kim Sung-soo said the ruling could create opportunities for Oh to cooperate with Han Dong-hoon and Lee Jun-seok, while expecting Oh to focus on consolidating his own support.

Published Oct 23, 2026 5:15 pm KST

Updated Oct 23, 2026 5:41 pm KST

Experts say ruling keeps his ambitions alive, but broadening support remains challenge

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, center, walks past people applauding at the Seoul High Court, Friday, after an appeals court acquitted him of political funding law violation. Newsis

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s acquittal Friday gives him an opportunity to turn his legal victory into greater influence within the conservative opposition, easing a threat to his tenure that had overshadowed his fifth term and constrained his presidential prospects.

The Seoul High Court reversed a July ruling that fined Oh 10 million won ($7,500) and ordered him to forfeit 21 million won — a sentence that would have cost him his mayoral post had it become final.

The appeals court ruling does not end the case. Special counsel Min Joong-ki’s team said it would appeal to the Supreme Court. But the reversal of a verdict that could have removed Oh from office gives him more room to advance his agenda in the capital and strengthen his standing within the main opposition People Power Party (PPP).

The lower court’s conviction had raised questions about whether Oh could complete his four-year term, creating uncertainty around long-term projects. The acquittal reduces that burden and gives his administration greater political stability to pursue its priorities.

Oh entered his fifth term with a major electoral achievement. In June, he beat Democratic Party of Korea candidate Chong Won-o, becoming the first person elected Seoul mayor for five terms.

His victory, secured as the PPP struggled nationally, reinforced his claim to competitiveness beyond the party’s traditional conservative base.

With legal risks largely eased, Oh has more room to build on that win and cultivate support among conservatives and beyond. His image as a pragmatic conservative could position him as an alternative to the PPP’s current harder-line approach under leader Jang Dong-hyeok.

In a Gallup Korea survey conducted earlier this month, Oh recorded a 30 percent favorability rating, the highest among the seven key political figures. Rep. Han Dong-hoon followed at 23 percent, while Jang stood at just 14 percent. Rep. Kim Min-seok, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the most favored figure among liberal politicians, stood at 21 percent.

The survey measured personal favorability rather than presidential voting intentions. Still, it suggests that the mayor has a potential base of public goodwill he could seek to translate into broader political support.

For now, however, Oh has reason to focus on Seoul Metropolitan Government rather than move openly toward a presidential bid. With more than three years remaining before the next presidential election, delivering results on housing, transportation and development disparities between northern and southern Seoul could provide a stronger foundation for his national ambitions.

Experts said the acquittal secured Oh’s political survival for now and kept his presidential ambitions alive. But they cautioned that the victory alone would not be enough to broaden his support or reshape the balance of power within the PPP.

“Oh is back as a presidential contender. But whether he can shake up the race is another matter,” Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, told The Korea Times on Friday. “He could serve as a rallying point for new conservatives, but that won’t be easy in the short term either. Currently, there is no ‘pro-Oh’ faction at the National Assembly.”

Kim Sung-soo, a professor at Hanyang University, said the ruling could help Oh consolidate his support and create opportunities for cooperation with figures such as Han and Lee Jun-seok, a conservative who ran in the previous presidential election. But Kim expected Oh to focus on shoring up his own base rather than directly challenging the party leadership.

“The party leadership is consolidating its position and placing greater emphasis on party members,” he said. “I think Oh is also likely to focus on rallying his core supporters.”

首尔市长吴世勋周五在首尔被判无罪，这缓解了其任期面临的威胁，并让他有更多空间推行自己的施政纲领，巩固其在国民力量党内的地位。首尔高等法院推翻了7月份对其处以1000万韩元罚款并没收2100万韩元的判决，但特别检察官闵仲基的团队表示将向最高法院提起上诉。吴世勋的法律胜利使其竞选总统的前景得以延续，但专家表示，仅凭这一点不足以扩大他的支持率或重塑国民力量党。预计他将专注于首尔的各项工程项目，并巩固其核心支持者的阵营。

吴在6月击败了韩国民主党候选人郑元伍，成为首位连任五届的首尔市长。

在本月初进行的盖洛普韩国调查中，吴的受欢迎程度为 30%，其次是韩东勋（23%）、金珉锡（21%）和张东赫（14%）。

该调查衡量的是个人好感度，而不是总统选举投票意向。

政治学教授申律表示，吴铉可能会团结新的保守派，但他指出，国民议会中没有支持吴铉的派系。

汉阳大学教授金成洙表示，该裁决可能会为吴某与韩东勋和李俊锡合作创造机会，同时预计吴某会专注于巩固自己的支持。

发布于2026年10月23日下午5:15（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月23日下午5:41（韩国标准时间）

专家表示，裁决使他的野心得以延续，但扩大支持率仍然是个挑战。

周五，首尔市长吴世勋（图中）走过首尔高等法院外鼓掌的人群。此前，上诉法院宣布他无罪，此前他被控违反了政治献金法。纽西斯

首尔市长吴世勋周五被判无罪，这让他有机会将法律上的胜利转化为在保守反对派内部更大的影响力，从而缓解此前笼罩他第五个任期并限制其总统前景的威胁。

首尔高等法院推翻了 7 月份的一项裁决，该裁决对吴某处以 1000 万韩元（7500 美元）的罚款，并命令他没收 2100 万韩元——如果该判决最终生效，他将失去市长职位。

上诉法院的裁决并未终结此案。特别检察官闵仲基的团队表示将向最高法院提起上诉。但推翻可能导致吴钊燮下台的判决，使他有更多空间在首都推进其政治议程，并巩固其在主要反对党国民力量党内的地位。

下级法院的定罪引发了人们对吴能否完成四年任期的质疑，也给一些长期项目带来了不确定性。无罪释放减轻了这种担忧，并使其政府在推进各项优先事项方面拥有更大的政治稳定性。

吴钊燮以一场重大的选举胜利开启了他的第五个任期。今年6月，他击败了韩国民主党候选人郑元伍，成为首位连任五届的首尔市长。

他的胜利是在人民进步党在全国范围内举步维艰的情况下取得的，这巩固了他在该党传统保守派基础之外的竞争力。

随着法律风险的大幅降低，吴钊燮有更多空间巩固此次胜利，并在保守派及其他群体中争取支持。他务实保守的形象，可能使他成为人民进步党在党魁张东赫领导下采取的强硬路线之外的另一种选择。

盖洛普韩国本月早些时候进行的一项民意调查显示，吴安琪的支持率高达30%，在七位主要政治人物中位居榜首。韩东勋议员的支持率为23%，紧随其后，而张建华的支持率仅为14%。执政党共同民主党党首、自由派政治人物中最受欢迎的金珉锡议员的支持率为21%。

这项调查衡量的是个人好感度，而非总统选举投票意向。尽管如此，调查结果仍然表明，这位市长拥有潜在的公众好感基础，他可以尝试将其转化为更广泛的政治支持。

然而，就目前而言，吴正熙有理由将重心放在首尔市政府的工作上，而不是公开竞选总统。距离下届总统选举还有三年多的时间，如果他能在解决首尔南北两地住房、交通和发展不平衡等问题上取得成效，就能为他实现国家抱负奠定更坚实的基础。

专家表示，无罪释放暂时保住了吴的政治前途，也让他得以继续追逐总统宝座。但他们也警告说，单凭这场胜利不足以扩大他的支持率，也无法重塑人民进步党内部的权力格局。

“吴钊燮重返总统候选人行列。但他能否撼动选情则是另一回事，”明知大学政治学教授申律周五接受《韩国时报》采访时表示。“他或许能成为新保守派的集结号，但这在短期内也并非易事。目前，国会中并没有支持吴钊燮的派系。”

汉阳大学教授金成洙表示，这一裁决可能有助于吴钊燮巩固其支持基础，并为他与韩正熙、李俊锡（一位曾参加上届总统选举的保守派人士）等人的合作创造机会。但金成洙预计吴钊燮会将重点放在巩固自身支持者基础上，而不是直接挑战党内领导层。

他说：“党领导层正在巩固自身地位，更加重视党员。我认为吴先生也可能专注于团结他的核心支持者。”