Seoul's mayor indicted for using private funds for polling ahead of 2021 by-election, risking his 2026 run.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was indicted on December 1, 2025, for allegedly violating South Korea’s Political Funds Act by using private funds to cover opinion polling costs ahead of the 2021 by-election. Prosecutors allege he orchestrated the polls through a power broker and had a third party pay 33 million won ($22,400) over five instances, breaching campaign finance rules. Oh, a conservative politician and potential presidential candidate, denies wrongdoing. The case is part of a broader probe into political influence and improper funding, with a conviction potentially disqualifying him from running in next year’s local elections.