Seoul: The Seoul High Court has postponed the first hearing of Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's retrial on election law violation charges until after the June 3 presidential election. This decision was made to ensure Lee's right to a fair trial, as stated by the court on Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the hearing has been rescheduled from May 15 to June 18 to allow the defendant, Lee, who is a candidate in the presidential election, a fair opportunity to campaign without controversies about the fairness of the trial. The court emphasized its commitment to conducting trials independently and fairly, adhering strictly to the Constitution and the law without any external influence or interference.
This decision is favorable for Lee, who was at risk of having his not guilty verdict overturned. The Supreme Court had sent the case back to the Seoul High Court last week, citing misunderstandings of legal principles in its earlier decision to acquit him of a lower court's sentence of one year in prison, suspended for two years. If this sentence were finalized, it would have disqualified Lee from running in the upcoming presidential election.
Lee expressed his approval of the court's decision during a campaign stop in Jeonju, stating that the court acted in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution. The charges against Lee include lying during a media interview in December 2021 about not playing golf with the late Kim Moon-ki, a former executive of Seongnam Development Corp., during his tenure as mayor of Seongnam. He was also accused of lying during an October 2021 parliamentary audit about being pressured by the land ministry to rezone a site in Seongnam.
Lee's lawyer requested the postponement earlier on Wednesday, citing constitutional articles that guarantee a candidate's fair electioneering opportunity and prohibit a candidate's arrest during the campaign period.
In a related development, the Seoul Central District Court has also delayed the start of Lee's corruption trial related to development projects in Seongnam. The first hearing has been moved to June 24 from the original dates of May 13 and 27, following a similar request from Lee's legal team. Additionally, Lee's lawyers have sought a delay in another case where he faces charges of suborning a former mayoral secretary to provide false testimony. The appellate trial for that case is set to begin on May 20 at the Seoul High Court.