Wrap up Lee Jae-myung's trial soon
Published: 06 Feb. 2025, 00:00
In the appellate trial for Democratic Party (DP) Chair Lee Jae-myung’s violation of the Public Official Election Act, the court rejected most of his team’s requests for additional witnesses. Of the 13 witnesses Lee’s side had proposed, the court approved only three. This decision effectively curbs what has been widely criticized as Lee’s deliberate attempts to drag out the trial.
The first trial alone took two years and two months — an astonishing delay given that election cases are supposed to be resolved within six months at the district court level and three months for the appeals and Supreme Court stages, according to the Public Official Election Act. Lee was found guilty in the lower court of spreading false information and was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year suspended sentence. If that ruling is upheld, he will be barred from running for public office for 10 years. Given the case’s high stakes, it is baffling that Lee’s legal team even failed to receive the court’s notice of appeal proceedings. When suspicions arose that this was a deliberate ploy, Lee’s side weakly defended itself by claiming no one was home at the time of delivery.
Lee’s request for the court to refer Article 250, Clause 1 of the Public Official Election Act — under which he was convicted — to the Constitutional Court for review is another stalling tactic. The Constitutional Court has already ruled this clause constitutional in past cases. If the appellate court were to accept Lee’s request, proceedings would be suspended indefinitely until the Constitutional Court reaches a decision. Following public criticism, Lee stated yesterday that his trial “will not be delayed and will end quickly.”
The case itself is straightforward. The key issue is whether Lee knowingly lied to the public when he claimed not to have played golf with the late Kim Moon-ki, a former director at Seongnam Development Corporation who was deeply involved in the controversial Daejang-dong project. The lower court found that he had, in fact, lied. Now, the appellate court must decide. After spending more than two years disputing the facts in the first trial, Lee’s attempt to introduce a slew of new witnesses at this stage is simply untenable.
Lee’s tactics in court are also at odds with his recent attempts to broaden his political appeal. At a forum on the Special Act on Semiconductors, he acknowledged, “When I asked, ‘Why shouldn’t highly paid research and development (R&D) experts in specific industries be allowed to work longer if they consent?’ there was no counterargument.” This is a striking departure from his past insistence on rigidly enforcing the 52-hour workweek. In his New Year’s press conference, he emphasized “private sector-led growth,” another shift from his earlier stances. He has also actively pushed for a bipartisan national policy council involving the government and party leaders. If Lee wants his transformation to be seen as genuine, he must first show his sincerity by swiftly resolving his legal entanglements rather than dragging out the process.
It is also glaringly hypocritical that Lee lambasted President Yoon Suk Yeol for refusing to accept notifications from the Constitutional Court, all while employing every possible legal maneuver to delay his own trial. If he is truly confident in his innocence, he should be demanding a swift verdict rather than avoiding it. A timely ruling would not only benefit him personally but also eliminate uncertainty for the DP and the public.
Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
The first trial alone took two years and two months — an astonishing delay given that election cases are supposed to be resolved within six months at the district court level and three months for the appeals and Supreme Court stages, according to the Public Official Election Act. Lee was found guilty in the lower court of spreading false information and was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year suspended sentence. If that ruling is upheld, he will be barred from running for public office for 10 years. Given the case’s high stakes, it is baffling that Lee’s legal team even failed to receive the court’s notice of appeal proceedings. When suspicions arose that this was a deliberate ploy, Lee’s side weakly defended itself by claiming no one was home at the time of delivery.
Lee’s request for the court to refer Article 250, Clause 1 of the Public Official Election Act — under which he was convicted — to the Constitutional Court for review is another stalling tactic. The Constitutional Court has already ruled this clause constitutional in past cases. If the appellate court were to accept Lee’s request, proceedings would be suspended indefinitely until the Constitutional Court reaches a decision. Following public criticism, Lee stated yesterday that his trial “will not be delayed and will end quickly.”
The case itself is straightforward. The key issue is whether Lee knowingly lied to the public when he claimed not to have played golf with the late Kim Moon-ki, a former director at Seongnam Development Corporation who was deeply involved in the controversial Daejang-dong project. The lower court found that he had, in fact, lied. Now, the appellate court must decide. After spending more than two years disputing the facts in the first trial, Lee’s attempt to introduce a slew of new witnesses at this stage is simply untenable.
Lee’s tactics in court are also at odds with his recent attempts to broaden his political appeal. At a forum on the Special Act on Semiconductors, he acknowledged, “When I asked, ‘Why shouldn’t highly paid research and development (R&D) experts in specific industries be allowed to work longer if they consent?’ there was no counterargument.” This is a striking departure from his past insistence on rigidly enforcing the 52-hour workweek. In his New Year’s press conference, he emphasized “private sector-led growth,” another shift from his earlier stances. He has also actively pushed for a bipartisan national policy council involving the government and party leaders. If Lee wants his transformation to be seen as genuine, he must first show his sincerity by swiftly resolving his legal entanglements rather than dragging out the process.
It is also glaringly hypocritical that Lee lambasted President Yoon Suk Yeol for refusing to accept notifications from the Constitutional Court, all while employing every possible legal maneuver to delay his own trial. If he is truly confident in his innocence, he should be demanding a swift verdict rather than avoiding it. A timely ruling would not only benefit him personally but also eliminate uncertainty for the DP and the public.
Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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