DP candidate Lee Jae-myung's retrial rescheduled to after the June 3 election
Published: 07 May. 2025, 12:51
Updated: 07 May. 2025, 12:59
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- KIM JU-YEON
- [email protected]
![Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung meets with North Chungcheong residents at a beauty salon in Eumseong-gun, North Chungcheong, on May 5. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/05/07/666b59e1-1653-47a9-8099-af4624e25f0e.jpg)
Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung meets with North Chungcheong residents at a beauty salon in Eumseong-gun, North Chungcheong, on May 5. [NEWS1]
The Seoul High Court on Wednesday postponed Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's remanded trial to June 18, after the June 3 election.
“The court rescheduled the trial to a date after the presidential election in order to ensure the defendant, a presidential candidate, has an equal opportunity to campaign, and to avoid any controversy over the fairness of the trial,” the Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 7 said.
The decision comes after Lee's attorney filed a request earlier that day to postpone Lee’s trial, which was originally set to take place on May 15.
“Candidate Lee’s attorney submitted a request to the Seoul High Court at 11 a.m. today seeking a change in the hearing date for the retrial,” DP spokesperson Han Min-soo said Wednesday.
“The Seoul High Court’s scheduling of the trial date directly violates the Constitution, which guarantees free and fair election campaigning,” Han said while citing Article 116 of the Constitution, which stipulates the free and exercise of election campaigns, and Article 11 of the Public Official Election Act, which gives citizens the right to participate in such campaigns.
The postponement would “ensure the fairness of elections and fully guarantee the people's freedom of choice,” Han said.
The Supreme Court overturned the Seoul High Court’s acquittal of an alleged election law violation involving Lee on Thursday, and the high court assigned May 15 as the first session of the poll frontrunner’s retrial.
The DP had called on the court to push back the trial, saying they would “use all the powers given by the people to the legislative branch” to “prevent the judiciary's coup." The liberal party is also considering pushing for the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de over the top court's decision.
BY KIM JU-YEON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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