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Prosecutors demand two-year sentence for DP chief Lee on false statement charges

Published: 26 Feb. 2025, 18:16 Updated: 26 Feb. 2025, 19:07

LIM JEONG-WON
[email protected]

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung waves to supporters as he heads into his second trial at the Seoul High Court in Seocho District, western Seoul, on Feb. 26. [YONHAP]

Prosecutors demanded a two-year prison sentence for Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung, who was indicted on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act, in an appeal trial on Wednesday.

“If the standards for applying the Public Official Election Act are different depending on the defendant's status, political situation, deprivation of the right to be elected or political party affiliation, the purpose of the law to realize democracy through public elections will be lost," prosecutors said at the Seoul High Court in Seocho District, western Seoul, on Wednesday. "Severe punishment is necessary for those who distort voters' choices with lies, regardless of their status.”

Lee was indicted on charges of making false statements in a December 2021 broadcast interview in which he was a DP presidential candidate, claiming he did not know the late Kim Moon-ki, former head of the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation Development Division.

Lee is also accused of falsely stating that there was pressure from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to rezone the Korea Food Research Institute site in the Baekhyeon-dong area of Seongnam, Gyeonggi.

The first trial, which ended on Nov. 15 last year, concluded that Lee's claims were false and sentenced him to one year in prison and two years of probation — a sentence that would force him to give up his National Assembly seat if upheld.

A Supreme Court ruling determining Lee's political future is increasingly likely, with a verdict expected in June. The schedule for an early presidential election — which would result if President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment is upheld — and the schedule for Lee’s appeals trial are at odds, with attention focusing on the timing of the Supreme Court’s ruling on Lee.

If an early presidential election is held, Lee’s trial and the election will overlap. The arguments for Yoon’s impeachment trial ended on Wednesday, with a ruling expected in early to mid-March.

If the impeachment is upheld, the presidential election will be held in May according to Article 68 of the Constitution, which stipulates that if the presidency becomes vacant, a successor must be elected within 60 days.

If Lee is found guilty by the Supreme Court, he cannot run for president.

However, whether the Supreme Court issues a ruling before the presidential election concludes is hard to predict. According to the 2024 Judicial Yearbook, the average processing time for noncustodial criminal cases in 2023 was 155 days. In the case of violations of the Public Official Election Act, it took an average of 73.2 days in 2023.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]