Seoul: Prosecutors on Thursday appealed a recent acquittal of Rep. Lee Jae-myung, head of the main opposition Democratic Party, to the Supreme Court, following the overturning of a suspended prison sentence by a high court this week.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Seoul High Court on Wednesday acquitted Lee of lying as a presidential candidate during the 2022 election. This decision removed a significant legal obstacle for Lee, who is widely regarded as a potential liberal presidential front-runner.
The suspended prison term, if finalized, would have resulted in Lee losing his parliamentary seat and being barred from participating in the next presidential election. This development is particularly crucial given the political landscape, where Lee is expected to run in the presidential election if the Constitutional Court upholds the impeachment of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, potentially leading to a snap election within 60 days.
During the initial trial, Lee was found guilty of making false statements during a media interview in December 2021. He had denied playing golf with the late Kim Moon-ki, a former executive of Seongnam Development Corp. This corporation was involved in a controversial development project in Seongnam, south of Seoul, during Lee's tenure as the city's mayor.