Guilty Verdict Again for Uiryeong County Governor Accused of Forced Molestation in Appeal... Avoids Removal from Office (Comprehensive)

County Governor Oh Tae-wan: "I Will Do My Best to Reveal the Truth"

Oh Tae-wan, the mayor of Uiryeong-gun, Gyeongnam, who was prosecuted on charges of sexual assault, avoided losing his mayoral position by receiving a fine in the appellate trial, unlike the original trial.

The Criminal Division 3-1 of Changwon District Court, Gyeongnam (Chief Judge Oh Taek-won) sentenced Mayor Oh to a fine of 10 million won and ordered him to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program on the 17th.

Earlier, Mayor Oh was indicted on charges of sexual assault for grabbing the hand of a female reporter while having dinner with reporters who had access to the county office at a restaurant in Uiryeong-gun on June 17, 2021.

He was sentenced in the first trial to six months in prison with a two-year probation, which would result in losing his mayoral position, but he appealed claiming innocence. The prosecution also appealed, arguing that the sentence was inappropriate.

Elected officials lose their positions if they receive a prison sentence or higher in a criminal case and the sentence is finalized.

O Tae-wan, the governor of Uiryeong-gun, Gyeongnam, is expressing his feelings to the press after the appellate court ruling on the charge of sexual assault.
[Photo by Lee Se-ryeong]

The appellate court stated, “The expression ‘mit’ (meaning ‘under’ or ‘below’) used by the defendant while grabbing the victim’s wrist can be interpreted as referring to genitalia, and from the perspective of contemporary moral standards, it constitutes conduct that causes sexual shame or disgust, thus qualifying as sexual assault under criminal law.”

It added, “The defendant committed the assault on the victim, who was an attendee, during an official event, a press conference he presided over, so the nature of the crime is by no means light. Nevertheless, even up to the second trial, he did not admit wrongdoing and rather behaved as if blaming the victim.”

“However, considering that he has no prior convictions of the same kind or punishments exceeding fines, that the degree of sexual assault cannot be regarded as severe, and that the press conference where the incident occurred was not a formal occasion but rather a relaxed setting mixing alcohol and heavy jokes to foster a smooth relationship between the county and local media, and that the act appears to have been impulsive in that atmosphere,” the court explained the reasons for sentencing.

After the verdict, Mayor Oh said, “It is a somewhat disappointing decision for me,” and added, “I will discuss with my lawyer and decide whether to appeal further.”

He also said, “I have tried to repay the residents by working hard, but I am sorry for not showing a good outcome in this unfortunate matter,” and “I will do my best to reveal the truth in the future.”

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