Politics · South Korea · 2 hrs ago
South Koreans split over Oh Se-hoon’s appeal acquittal
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was acquitted on appeal in a case over alleged payments for opinion polls, involving charges under South Korea’s Political Funds Act.
A survey of 1,000 adults found 34% said the acquittal was right and 37% said it was wrong, while 29% had no opinion.
The results were close, and the poll’s margin of error was 3.1 percentage points in either direction.
Views differed by political outlook: 61% of conservative respondents approved, while 76% of liberal respondents said the ruling was wrong.
The poll also found 53% expected home prices to rise over the next year, compared with 14% who expected them to fall.
Expectations for housing rents were higher still, with 66% expecting rents to increase and 7% expecting a decline.
A poll found South Koreans nearly evenly divided over the acquittal of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in an appeal over alleged payments for opinion polls.
Thirty-four percent said the ruling was good, while 37% said it was wrong.
Twenty-nine percent gave no opinion.
Views differed sharply by political leaning: 61% of conservative respondents approved of the ruling, while 76% of liberal respondents disapproved.
The Gallup Korea survey interviewed 1,000 people aged 18 or older from October 27 to 29.
- Who
- Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was acquitted. The poll surveyed 1,000 South Koreans aged 18 or older.
- What
- A poll found opinion divided over Oh’s appeal acquittal in a case involving alleged payments for opinion polls.
- When
- The survey was conducted October 27–29, 2026. The results were reported October 30.
- Where
- South Korea.
- Why
- The poll asked whether the acquittal was a good or wrong ruling.
Those who viewed the ruling as good
Those who viewed the ruling as wrong
View of the acquittal
Those who viewed the ruling as good
They considered the ruling good; 34% of respondents held this view.
Those who viewed the ruling as wrong
They considered the ruling wrong; 37% of respondents held this view.
Political leaning
Those who viewed the ruling as good
61% of respondents who identified as conservative said the ruling was good.
Those who viewed the ruling as wrong
76% of respondents who identified as liberal said the ruling was wrong.
Oh Se-hoon spoke to reporters after an appeals court acquitted him.
Gallup Korea conducted its survey of 1,000 people aged 18 or older.
Yonhap reported the poll results.
- Good ruling
- 34% said the acquittal was a good ruling.
- Wrong ruling
- 37% said the acquittal was wrong.
- No opinion
- 29% gave no opinion.
- Survey sample
- 1,000 people aged 18 or older.
- Survey dates
- October 27–29, 2026.