South Korea's main opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, has filed an appeal against a suspended sentence handed down by a local court for violating the country’s election laws during the previous presidential campaign.
The appeal comes after the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Lee to a one-year prison term, which was suspended for two years. The court found him guilty of making false statements, breaching the Public Official Election Act, a law meant to ensure fairness during electoral processes.
The charges stemmed from accusations that Lee had lied during media interviews and parliamentary hearings. In December 2021, Lee denied knowing Kim Moon-ki, a former executive at the Seongnam Development Corporation, which was involved in a scandalous development project in Seongnam, a city south of Seoul.
Lee also falsely claimed that he had not played golf with Kim during a business trip to Australia. These statements were critical in the investigation as Kim was at the centre of corruption allegations tied to land development projects during Lee’s tenure as the mayor of Seongnam.
Furthermore, Lee was accused of making false claims during a parliamentary audit in October 2021, in which he asserted that he was pressured by the Land Ministry to rezone a former research institute site in Seongnam.
The rezoning later facilitated a development project that saw the land turned into apartment complexes by a private developer. It was suggested that Lee may have given special treatment to the developer by approving the rezoning, although no direct evidence linking Lee to corruption was found.
While the court ruled that Lee’s claims about not knowing Kim were not legally a violation of election law, it found other statements to be false and in violation of the regulations that govern elections and public officials.
As a result, the court issued a one-year prison sentence, which was suspended for two years, allowing Lee to avoid immediate jail time but placing him under a suspended sentence.
Lee has since appealed the decision, challenging both the ruling and the severity of the sentence. Additionally, prosecutors who had requested a two-year prison sentence for Lee are also expected to file their appeal before the deadline on November 22.
The final decision on Lee’s case could have significant implications for his political career.
If Lee is handed a prison term or a fine exceeding one million Korean won (roughly $710), he would lose his parliamentary seat and be banned from running for public office for the next five years, including the 2027 presidential election.
Follow us
