Lee Jae-myung says he’ll attraction the court docket’s determination, which might bar him from operating for president in 2027.
South Korea’s fundamental opposition chief, Lee Jae-myung, has been convicted on expenses of violating the nation’s election regulation and handed a one-year suspended jail sentence.
The Seoul Central District Court docket on Friday discovered the chief of the Democratic Get together (DP) responsible of constructing false statements earlier than the 2022 presidential election in violation of the Public Official Election Act.
If upheld, the ruling will strip Lee of his parliamentary seat and bar him from operating within the subsequent presidential election in 2027, because the regulation prohibits him from operating for public workplace for the subsequent 5 years.
Lee stated after the listening to that he would attraction the court docket’s determination.
“I will probably be interesting. Starting with the fundamental info, it’s a conclusion that’s tough to simply accept,” he informed reporters.
“There are nonetheless two extra courts left in the true world, and the courts of public opinion and historical past are everlasting,” he stated, apparently referring to plans to take the case to the Supreme Court docket.
Lee’s supporters and critics occupied separate streets close to the court docket, shouting opposing slogans and holding indicators that stated “Lee Jae-myung is harmless” and “Arrest Lee Jae-myung”.
Lee, who narrowly misplaced to President Yoon Suk-yeol within the 2022 election, faces no less than 4 trials after being indicted on a number of felony expenses together with bribery and corruption. Yoon can be dealing with a string of controversies, together with allegations of influence-peddling alongside his spouse.
Within the ruling on Friday, the court docket discovered that Lee breached election regulation by making false statements as a presidential candidate in 2021 that he was not acquainted with a metropolis official who was in command of a growth undertaking.
The official in query was the late Kim Moon-ki, a former govt of Seongnam Improvement Company, which was behind a corruption-ridden growth undertaking in Seongnam, in accordance with South Korean information company Yonhap.
Lee was additionally accused of constructing a false declare throughout a parliamentary audit in 2021 a few land growth undertaking in Seongnam the place he served as mayor.
Lee was the mayor of Seongnam from 2010 to 2018 earlier than turning into governor of Gyeonggi province and a member of parliament.
Lee, who’s extensively anticipated to run within the 2027 election, survived a knife assault in January when he was stabbed within the neck by a person throughout an occasion and underwent surgical procedure.
His get together secured a landslide victory in parliamentary elections in April, dealing a blow to Yoon and his governing get together.
Lee, who faces one other sentencing listening to over perjury expenses later this month, and his get together have accused prosecutors of pursuing a politically motivated case in opposition to him.