Seoul: An appellate court is set to hold the first hearing of a retrial concerning Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on May 15. This retrial is part of an election law violation case, with the hearing scheduled just weeks before the upcoming June election.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Seoul High Court scheduled the retrial just one day after the Supreme Court overturned a lower court's decision to acquit Lee of election law violations in March. The Supreme Court has ordered that Lee be retried on charges of making false statements during the 2022 presidential campaign, and the case has been sent back to the Seoul High Court for further proceedings.

The timing of the Supreme Court's ruling, which comes a little over a month before the June 3 presidential election, underscores the urgency of resolving legal questions surrounding Lee's candidacy. Lee is currently considered a leading contender in the upcoming election, with recent opinion polls showing him holding a significant lead.

A crucial aspect of the retrial is the potential consequence for Lee if he is fined more than 1 million won (approximately US$710), which would result in him losing his parliamentary seat and being barred from running for office for the next five years. It remains uncertain whether the appellate court will be able to reach a verdict before the June 3 election.