Seoul: An appellate court will hold the first hearing of a retrial in an election law violation case involving Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on May 15, just weeks before the June election. The Seoul High Court set the date just one day after the Supreme Court struck down the lower court's acquittal of Lee on charges of election law violation in March and remanded the case for a retrial.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Supreme Court ruled that Lee should be retried on allegations of making false statements during the 2022 presidential campaign and sent the case back to the Seoul High Court. The top court's ruling comes just over a month ahead of the June 3 presidential election, a timeline observers say reflects the urgency of resolving legal uncertainties surrounding Lee's candidacy.
Lee is currently seen as a leading contender in the upcoming election, holding a significant lead in recent opinion polls. If Lee is fined more than 1 million won (US$710), he would be stripped of his parliamentary seat and barred from running for office over the next five years.