Seoul: An appellate court is scheduled to conduct the first hearing of a retrial concerning Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's alleged election law violations on May 15, just weeks ahead of the June presidential election.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Seoul High Court established the hearing date shortly after the Supreme Court overturned a previous lower court's acquittal of Lee in March, necessitating a retrial. The Supreme Court's decision mandates a reassessment of allegations that Lee made false statements during the 2022 presidential campaign, returning the case to the Seoul High Court.
This ruling emerges over a month before the June 3 presidential election, underscoring the urgency in addressing the legal ambiguities related to Lee's candidacy. Lee is currently a prominent candidate in the upcoming election, showing a substantial lead in recent opinion polls.
If Lee receives a fine exceeding 1 million won (approximately US$710), he faces losing his parliamentary seat and being prohibited from running for office for the next five years. The appeals court has arranged for a court official to personally deliver a summons to Lee for the upcoming hearing.
Should Lee fail to appear, the court might need to postpone the trial, reducing the likelihood of reaching a verdict before June 3. Even if a sentence is declared before the election, Lee would likely appeal, allowing him to remain in the race. Presently, no definitive rule exists on whether an ongoing criminal trial can proceed if the accused individual is later elected president.
In a related development, the Democratic Party introduced a bill aimed at suspending ongoing criminal trials for a president-elect, perceived as an effort to alleviate the legal challenges confronting Lee.