Seoul: The Seoul High Court announced on Monday that it has once more delayed President Lee Jae-myung's retrial concerning charges of election law violations. The initial hearing, which was slated for June 18, has been postponed indefinitely under Article 84 of the Constitution. This article protects a sitting president from criminal prosecution except in cases of insurrection or treason.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee ascended to the presidency on June 3, following the removal of former President Yoon Suk Yeol due to his mismanaged implementation of martial law in December. The court had previously delayed Lee's first hearing from May 15, emphasizing the necessity to ensure a "fair electioneering opportunity" for Lee, who was a presidential candidate at the time.
The decision to conduct a retrial follows the Supreme Court's May ruling, which overturned the Seoul High Court's earlier acquittal of Lee. This acquittal had been related to a suspended prison term linked to alleged false statements Lee made before the 2022 presidential election.
In addition to the election law violation charges, Lee faces four other trials. These involve allegations of corruption related to a development project during his tenure as Seongnam mayor, embezzlement of provincial funds as Gyeonggi governor, illegal remittance of funds to North Korea, and subornation of perjury.
The presidential campaign saw significant debate over whether these trials should proceed during Lee's presidency, with some interpreting his immunity from prosecution as not extending to new indictments. The Seoul High Court's recent decision regarding the retrial could influence the handling of the other four cases.