DP leader's political future hangs in the balance ahead of appeals decision

Home > National > Politics

DP leader's political future hangs in the balance ahead of appeals decision

Published: 25 Mar. 2025, 17:05 Updated: 26 Mar. 2025, 11:54

MICHAEL LEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Democratic Party leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on March 25 to testify in the trial of private developers involved in the Daejang-dong development scandal. [YONHAP]

The Seoul High Court is scheduled to issue a closely watched ruling on Wednesday regarding Democratic Party (DP) leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung’s appeal against his conviction on charges of violating the country’s election law.

Lee was found guilty of violating the Public Official Election Act by lying during his 2021 presidential campaign and was handed a suspended one-year sentence by the Seoul Central District Court in November of last year.

Lee, who previously served as mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi, was accused by prosecutors of lying in a 2021 media interview when he stated that he did not know Kim Moon-ki, a former Seongnam Development Corporation executive who died by suicide while being investigated for his involvement in a development corruption scandal.

Lee was also accused of lying during a 2021 audit of the Gyeonggi provincial government, claiming that the Land Ministry forced him to rezone the former site of the Korea Food Research Institute in Seongnam. The site was later developed into apartment complexes by a private developer, leading to allegations that Lee rezoned the land as a favor to the company.

The Seoul Central District Court ruled that both claims were factually untrue, but also that only the latter remark could be considered a violation of the election law.

Individuals handed a prison term of any length or a fine exceeding 1 million won ($680) for violations of the law are barred from running in elections for 10 years.

While Wednesday’s ruling by the appellate court is not final, it could upend Lee’s status as the frontrunner in the potentially early presidential race that would take place if the Constitutional Court rules to dismiss impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol from office.

If Yoon is removed, an election to choose his successor must take place within 60 days of the court’s decision.

Democratic Party (DP) floor leader Rep. Park Chan-dae, center, and other DP lawmakers hold up placards urging the Constitutional Court to uphold President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment as they march in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on March 25. [NEWS1]

Although the Constitutional Court was expected to issue its decision on Yoon’s case earlier this month, it has yet to announce the date of its verdict. As a result, the ruling on Lee’s appeal comes before a decision on Yoon’s impeachment.

If the Seoul High Court upholds or stiffens the lower court’s sentence against the DP leader, he would come under immense pressure from both the rival People Power Party and some members of his own party to stand down as a presidential contender.

Lee would still likely appeal the sentence to the Supreme Court, which under trial scheduling guidelines would issue a final judgment in the case within three months.

However, the longer the Constitutional Court delays its ruling on Yoon’s impeachment, the higher the odds that the Supreme Court would issue its decision on Lee’s case close to the date of the yet-hypothetical presidential election.

Some DP loyalists have told local media in recent days that the party could shorten its presidential primaries to ensure Lee’s nomination if the Seoul High Court upholds his conviction and the Constitutional Court rules to dismiss Yoon soon afterward.

However, the risk remains that the Supreme Court could uphold Lee’s conviction before an election takes place.

DP officials have expressed hope in recent days that the Seoul High Court would hand Lee a lighter sentence that would let him off the hook in terms of running for office.

In a radio interview on Monday, DP Rep. Park Jie-won said he was “certain” that the appellate court would overturn Lee’s conviction.

“Even if the court finds him guilty, I believe it would hand him a fine of 800,000 won, which would have no bearing on his right to run in an election,” Park said.

Lee himself did not respond to reporters’ questions about the upcoming decision on his appeal as he arrived at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday to testify in the trial of private developers involved in the Daejang-dong development scandal, which began during his tenure as Seongnam’s mayor.

Lee is currently undergoing a separate trial on charges of approving the project after its profit distribution scheme was skewed in favor of the developers.

BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]