DP's Lee requests postponement in Daejang-dong, perjury trials

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DP's Lee requests postponement in Daejang-dong, perjury trials

Published: 07 May. 2025, 16:55

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung speaks to reporters after the Seoul High Court's decision to postpone the hearing for his retrial for election law violations on May 7. [NEWS1]

Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the Democratic Party (DP), has filed requests to reschedule hearings in both his Daejang-dong development and perjury instigation cases, following a successful request to delay his retrial for violating the Public Official Election Act on Wednesday.

Lee’s legal team submitted requests for changes to scheduled trial dates to the Seoul High Court, which is overseeing his perjury case appeal, and to the Seoul Central District Court, which is handling the Daejang-dong case.

Originally, hearings in the Daejang-dong case had been scheduled for May 13 and May 27, while the perjury appeal hearing was slated for May 20. The courts have not yet issued statements on the new requests to change the dates.

Earlier in the day, the Seoul High Court, which is handling Lee’s retrial for election law violations, approved a request to postpone the hearing. The first hearing, originally scheduled for Thursday, has now been moved to June 18 at 10 a.m.

“To ensure the defendant, a presidential candidate, has an equal opportunity to campaign and to prevent any controversy regarding the fairness of the trial, the hearing date has been rescheduled to after the presidential election,” said the court in a statement.

“This division has maintained — and will continue to maintain — its stance of conducting fair and independent trials without being influenced or pressured by any internal or external forces, in accordance with the Constitution and the law,” the court emphasized.

Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung waves to supporters outside a venue in Jeonju, North Jeolla, after a campaign event on May 7. [YONHAP]

The Daejang-dong case relates to allegations of breach of trust and bribery concerning the Daejang-dong development project during Lee’s tenure as Seongnam mayor, where private developers reportedly gained excessive profits while the city incurred significant losses.

The perjury instigation case concerns allegations that Lee suborned a witness to commit perjury in relation to his gubernatorial campaign in 2002.

Lee said on Wednesday that the decision to postpone the first hearing of his retrial for violating the Public Official Election Act until after the presidential election was "a reasonable decision that the court naturally made in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution."

Speaking to reporters in Jeonju, North Jeolla, after the postponement decision, Lee said, “Korea is a democratic republic, and all power comes from the people,” adding, “This is a critical time when the people are actively exercising their sovereignty, and it is extremely important that this process not be hindered in any way.”

Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung takes a selfie with supporters outside a venue in Jeonju, North Jeolla, after a campaign event on May 7. [YONHAP]

When asked whether the direction could change regarding a proposed amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act — which would halt criminal trials for an elected president — that passed out of a subcommittee of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee earlier in the day under the DP's lead, Lee responded, “Everything should proceed according to common sense and the constitutional principles of the people.”

“When the time comes, decisions can be made then,” Lee said regarding his other ongoing trials. “We should make decisions based on the law, common sense and what is reasonable to the public.”

As for ongoing calls within the party to hold Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de accountable, Lee stated, “The separation of powers and judicial independence are foundational values for a democratic republic and must never be undermined.”

“It is also necessary to be vigilant and prevent such incidents from happening again in order to protect judicial independence,” he added.

“What actions are needed will be decided through sound public judgment and vigorous debate among members of society,” Lee concluded.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]