Seoul National University Alumni Association Denies Charges in First Trial Over 'Oh Se-hoon Election Campaign Interference'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Members of the Seoul National University Progressive Student Union (Seoul Dajin-yeon), who protested at the campaign site of Oh Se-hoon, the United Future Party candidate for Gwangjin-eul, Seoul, during the April 15 general election, mostly denied the charges in their first trial.

At the trial held on the 17th at the 11th Criminal Division of the Seoul Eastern District Court (Presiding Judge Son Joo-cheol), the defense attorneys for 19 members of Seoul Dajin-yeon, including Yoo (36) and Kang (23), who were indicted for violating the Public Official Election Act, argued, "We deny both the intent and conspiracy to interfere with the election," and claimed, "The defendants engaged in lawful election activities using only phrases that the election commission specifically stated were not problematic."

Kang, who spoke on behalf of the group, said, "If a member of the National Assembly candidate committed fraud, the people have the right to speak about it," adding, "We only wanted to create a fair election through one-person protests guaranteed as a basic right, and whenever the former election commission requested correction of the picket phrases, we immediately replaced them."

In April, they held picket protests in front of Oh’s campaign office and at subway stations, claiming that Oh violated the Public Official Election Act by giving 50,000 to 100,000 won each, totaling 1.2 million won, to five people including security guards and cleaners in the apartment where he resides during last year’s and this year’s Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays.

On this day, the court also conducted a bail hearing requested by Yoo and Kang, who were indicted while in detention. The defense argued, "There is no risk of flight, and they appear willing to sincerely participate in the trial, so there is a substantial reason to grant bail." The court will decide on bail after considering the prosecution’s opinion and the defendants’ arguments.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.