
Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chief of the principle opposition Democratic Celebration of Korea, will get out of a automobile on his solution to a second appeals trial on his election regulation violation case on the Seoul Excessive Court docket, Wednesday. Yonhap
Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chief of the principle opposition Democratic Celebration of Korea (DPK), has known as for a constitutional overview of election regulation provisions, fueling hypothesis that he’s intentionally delaying trials associated to him forward of a possible early presidential election.
In November, a Seoul court docket sentenced Lee to 1 12 months in jail, suspended for 2 years, on fees of violating the election regulation in the course of the earlier presidential marketing campaign.
He was discovered responsible of constructing false statements throughout a parliamentary audit of the Gyeonggi Provincial Authorities in October 2021 whereas serving as governor.
He was additionally accused of mendacity about not realizing Kim Moon-ki, the previous head of the event division at Seongnam Growth Corp., which was concerned in a corruption-ridden building venture in Seongnam throughout his time as town’s mayor. Lee has appealed the decision to the Seoul Central District Court docket.
Lee is taken into account the highest contender for the following presidential election, in accordance with polls. Nonetheless, if any jail sentence is finalized, he shall be stripped of his parliamentary seat and barred from working for public workplace for the following 10 years. If he receives a superb exceeding 1 million received ($760), the ban would final for the following 5 years. In each instances, he could be unable to run for the following presidential election.
Lee’s authorized workforce requested a constitutional overview of the election regulation provisions on Tuesday, saying criminalizing „publishing false info infringes freedom of political expression.” If the court docket accepts the request, the trial shall be suspended till the Constitutional Court docket concludes its constitutional overview.
Ruling Individuals Energy Celebration (PPP) lawmakers accused Lee of deliberately delaying the court docket proceedings so he may run in a possible snap election. Final month, the Seoul Excessive Court docket mentioned it will subject its ultimate ruling on Feb. 26 and resolve in March on the earliest whether or not to uphold or reject the decrease court docket’s resolution.

Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, second from proper, ground chief of the ruling Individuals Energy Celebration, speaks throughout an emergency assembly calling for the passage of financial and livelihood-related payments on the Nationwide Meeting in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, ground chief of the PPP, alleged that Lee is attempting to delay his trial indefinitely.
“Lee’s motion displays his intent to delay his trial indefinitely and canopy up his crimes by working in an early presidential election, if it does happen,” he wrote on Fb, Wednesday.
“It’s common sense to be punished in the event you commit a criminal offense. Nonetheless, Lee needs to keep away from punishment by abolishing the regulation. Earlier than shouting for ‘fundamental earnings’ and ‘fundamental society’ welfare plan, please equip your self with fundamental morality.”
One other PPP lawmaker, Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, identified that Lee has lengthy sought to postpone his trials.
“Lee has used all types of tips to delay his trial, reminiscent of intentionally not receiving the receipt of the lawsuit information and delaying the appointment of a lawyer. However this time, he clearly revealed his darkish intention to take away any barrier main as much as an early presidential election by delaying the appeals court docket’s ruling,” Kim mentioned.
The DPK chief’s alleged try to delay his trial additionally drew backlash from different liberal politicians who are usually not thought-about pro-Lee.
“The best path is to belief regulation, court docket judgment, and the general public,” former Prime Minister Kim Boo-gyum, who served because the co-chair of the DPK’s marketing campaign committee within the April 10 basic elections, mentioned in a radio interview.
Nonetheless, the DPK denied Lee’s technique of searching for delays. “Constitutional Court docket’s overview on unconstitutionality is assigned to a separate case and is carried out individually, so it doesn’t and can’t delay the proceedings of the principle trial,” Rep. Lee Geon-tae, authorized consultant of the DPK, mentioned.
“The trial will finish rapidly with none delay,” Lee advised reporters on his solution to attend a second appeals trial on his election regulation violation case, Wednesday.