Choi Jeong-eun, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea caucus at the Seoul Metropolitan Council, said Wednesday that the court's ruling fining Mayor Oh Se-hoon 10 million won ($6,780) was "an entirely just and inevitable outcome" for what she called "the worst public opinion manipulation and interference case in history." "Administrative confusion and dysfunction in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, has become unavoidable due to Mayor Oh Se-hoon's legal jeopardy — and he has not even been in office for a full month. The resulting administrative vacuum and damage will fall squarely on the shoulders of Seoul's 10 million citizens," she said.
Choi urged Oh to reflect on his own past words. "Mayor Oh Se-hoon once said, 'Lies are a sin, and truth is goodness and justice' — I ask him to take those words to heart once more," she said. "He must stop hiding behind hollow excuses. He must acknowledge his hypocrisy and the illegal charges against him, and sincerely apologize before the citizens of Seoul."
She also called on Oh to "make a responsible and courageous decision to minimize the burden on city administration and restore normal governance."
The spokesperson added that the Democratic Party of Korea caucus in the Seoul Metropolitan Council would "put the lives of 10 million citizens first and do everything in its power to ensure not a single gap in city administration occurs."
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