COVER STORY Acquittal revives Seoul mayor's presidential prospects

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.”