Seoul: In the appellate trial for Democratic Party (DP) Chair Lee Jae-myung, who is accused of violating the Public Official Election Act, the court has significantly limited the number of additional witnesses. Of the 13 witnesses proposed by Lee's legal team, the court has approved only three, a decision seen as an effort to prevent further delays in the proceedings.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the initial trial stretched over two years and two months, far exceeding the expected timeline for election-related cases, which should be resolved within six months at the district court level and three months for appeals and the Supreme Court stages. Lee was found guilty in the lower court of disseminating false information and received a sentence of one year in prison, suspended for two years. This conviction, if upheld, would bar him from seeking public office for a decade. The legal team's failure to receive the court's notice of appeal proceedings has raised suspicions of intentional delay tactics, which they dismissed by claiming no one was home to accept the delivery.
Lee has also sought to have Article 250, Clause 1 of the Public Official Election Act-under which he was convicted-reviewed by the Constitutional Court, despite previous rulings affirming its constitutionality. Acceptance of this request by the appellate court could indefinitely pause proceedings until the Constitutional Court makes a decision. Responding to public criticism, Lee assured that the trial "will not be delayed and will end quickly."
The core issue in the case is whether Lee lied about not having played golf with the late Kim Moon-ki, implicated in the controversial Daejang-dong project. The lower court ruled that Lee did lie, and now it is up to the appellate court to make its determination. After more than two years spent contesting the facts in the initial trial, Lee's effort to present numerous new witnesses at this stage appears untenable.
Lee's legal maneuvers contrast sharply with his recent political moves to expand his appeal. At a forum on the Special Act on Semiconductors, he questioned why highly paid R and D experts shouldn't be allowed to work longer hours if they agree, marking a shift from his previous stance on the 52-hour workweek. His New Year's press conference also saw him advocating for "private sector-led growth," diverging from his earlier positions. He has been promoting a bipartisan national policy council involving government and party leaders. For his political transformation to be regarded as authentic, Lee needs to resolve his legal issues promptly rather than prolonging them.
Lee's criticism of President Yoon Suk Yeol for not accepting Constitutional Court notifications appears hypocritical as he employs every legal strategy to delay his own trial. If he is confident of his innocence, Lee should be seeking a quick verdict, which would not only clear his name but also reduce uncertainty for the DP and the public.