Hong Jun-pyo praises court after Oh Se-hoon acquitted in appeal

Former Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo praised the court that acquitted Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in the appeal trial over allegations that polling costs were covered on his behalf by political operative Myung Tae-kyun.

"I thought this was a difficult case given the circumstances," Hong wrote on Facebook on Friday, adding that he "pays tribute to the court for delivering an acquittal despite the pressure around it."

Hong said he hoped "politics would no longer be decided by the judiciary."

He also urged Oh to "take a breather and work even harder for the 10 million citizens of Seoul."

"There is still one hurdle left, but congratulations to Mayor Oh on his acquittal in the appeal," Hong added.

After the ruling, Oh told reporters he was "truly sorry and apologetic for having to be seen appearing before prosecutors and the court," adding that he should "conduct his public duties more perfectly and carefully." He pledged to "handle things more thoroughly going forward."

Oh also expressed gratitude to Seoul residents. "You believed in my innocence throughout the trial and voted for me to serve again as Seoul mayor — I am truly and sincerely grateful," he said. "I will work even harder to live up to your trust and wisdom."

The Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 7, presided over by Judge Gu Hoe-geun, acquitted Oh on charges of violating the Political Funds Act. Former Seoul Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs Kang Cheol-won, a close aide to Oh who was indicted alongside him, and supporter Kim Han-jeong were also acquitted.

However, Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do pushed back on Facebook, calling the ruling "inconsistent with public common sense and expectations."

"The appeals court overturned all existing legal principles and granted a pass by accepting only the one-sided claims of Mayor Oh's side," Han said. "It is hard to accept that a verdict completely opposite to the first-instance ruling was handed down despite clear evidence and testimony."

Han called on the special prosecutor to "immediately appeal and correct the appeals court's misreading of the law," and said the Democratic Party "will make every effort to resolve the public's doubts about Mayor Oh."