A sitting Seoul City Council member charged with accepting bribes denied all allegations.
On the 24th, the Suwon District Court, Ansan Branch, Second Criminal Division (Chief Judge Park Ji-young) held the first hearing for Seoul Councilor Ok Jae-eun, who has been indicted on charges under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery) and is being held in custody.
The court also heard the cases of A — accused by prosecutors of acting as a broker to facilitate Ok’s alleged bribery and arrested and indicted on the same aggravated-bribery charges — and B, who is accused of introducing an educational-equipment supplier.
Prosecutors allege that between 2022 and 2023 Ok received about 340 million KRW (approximately 255,000 USD) from four companies in exchange for arranging budget allocations to make it easier for those firms to supply equipment to educational institutions in Seoul.
According to the indictment, A and others informed the companies that they might secure budget support from the Seoul City Council and urged them to buy the equipment to supply the institutions; the companies then provided detailed estimates to the brokers.
After Ok secured increased budget allocations, she left delivery instructions with certain schools, and those schools purchased equipment from vendors the brokers had recommended. Prosecutors say the vendors then funneled payments to Ok as rebates.
At a pretrial preparation hearing, all three defendants, including Ok, denied the charges.
Because this was the first formal trial, the court reviewed the indictment again at the defense’s request to determine whether the defendants had changed their positions or had additional statements.
Ok’s attorney told the court she did not conspire with the other indicted defendants and did not accept money in connection with her official duties, denying all charges.
A’s lawyer said they will challenge the monetary figures cited in the indictment and the prosecution’s use of the single–composite-offense theory. B’s lawyer said they want a legal determination on whether the defendant’s role in this matter constitutes a criminal offense.
The court offered the three defendants an opportunity to make a statement, but they declined.
At a later date, witnesses called by both the prosecution and the defense are scheduled to appear and be examined.
Police began investigating the case in November 2024. After conducting searches and interviewing suspects and witnesses, authorities said they found evidence supporting criminal charges against Ok, sought an arrest warrant, and obtained it.
Prosecutors, who took over the case in November, carried out supplemental investigations and concluded the three defendants received an additional 22 million KRW (approximately 16,500 USD). The prosecution indicted the three in December.
Individuals alleged to have paid bribes to Ok and others have also been arrested and indicted on aggravated-bribery charges and are currently on trial.
The next hearing in Ok’s case is scheduled for April 3.
