Synopsis
The South Korean appeals court acquitted opposition leader Lee Jae-myung of election law violations, overturning a previous suspended prison sentence. This ruling removes substantial legal obstacles for Lee, allowing him to maintain his parliamentary seat and eligibility for future presidential elections amid impending impeachment proceedings against President Yoon Suk Yeol.Key Takeaways
- Lee Jae-myung was acquitted of lying during the 2022 presidential election.
- The ruling by the Seoul High Court lifts a major legal obstacle for Lee.
- Lee has been seen as a presidential frontrunner amid potential impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
- Supreme Court could still overturn the appellate ruling.
- Initial trial found Lee guilty of making false statements.
Seoul, March 26 (NationPress) A South Korean appeals court on Wednesday cleared opposition leader Lee Jae-myung of allegations of dishonesty as a presidential candidate during the 2022 election, thereby reversing a previous court's ruling that had imposed a suspended prison sentence.
This ruling from the Seoul High Court has lifted a significant legal barrier for Lee, as a confirmed suspended prison sentence would have resulted in the loss of his parliamentary position and prevented him from contesting in the upcoming presidential election.
It is important to note that this appellate decision could still be challenged in the Supreme Court.
"I appreciate the court for making a fair decision rooted in truth and justice," Lee stated to the media.
"I hope the prosecution will reconsider their actions and stop wasting any further national resources."
As the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, Lee has been viewed as a leading candidate for the presidency, especially if the Constitutional Court confirms the impeachment of suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, which would provoke a snap presidential election within 60 days.
An announcement regarding the impeachment ruling is anticipated shortly.
In the initial trial, the opposition leader was convicted of making false statements during a media interview in December 2021, claiming he did not golf with the late Kim Moon-ki, a former executive of the Seongnam Development Corp., which was linked to a corruption-laden development project in Seongnam while Lee served as mayor.
Additionally, he was found guilty of deception during a parliamentary audit of the Gyeonggi provincial government in October 2021, stating he faced pressure from the land ministry to rezone the former site of the Korea Food Research Institute in Seongnam.
This site was later turned into apartment complexes by a private developer, raising suspicions that Lee had rezoned the land to favor the company, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
In November, the lower court sentenced Lee to one year in prison, suspended for two years, for breaching the Public Official Election Act by making false statements.
However, the Seoul High Court stated that none of the four comments made by Lee during his campaign regarding his lack of knowledge about Kim constituted false statements, including the golf comment.
"He cannot be deemed to have lied about not playing golf, and it's challenging to categorize the statement as false," the appeals court noted.
Regarding the alleged coercion from the land ministry, the court recognized that Lee "faced pressure from various angles."
"His claim of being threatened with charges of dereliction of duty could be viewed as an exaggerated reflection of the significant pressure he experienced at that time, but it is hard to consider it false," the court concluded.
