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Court delays President Lee's trial over alleged violation of election act

Published: 09 Jun. 2025, 11:33 Updated: 09 Jun. 2025, 18:13

LIM JEONG-WON
[email protected]

President Lee Jae-myung speaks during an emergency economy evaluation task force meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, on June 9. [YONHAP]

The Seoul High Court has delayed the trial of President Lee Jae-myung over his alleged violation of the Public Official Election Act, the court said Monday.

The trial was initially set for June 18, but the date has been indefinitely postponed due to Article 84 of the Constitution, according to the court.

Article 84 of the Constitution states that a sitting president shall not be prosecuted for criminal offenses during his tenure in office except in cases of insurrection or treason.

Postponing a court date via what is known as deferred scheduling is a legal procedure used when it is difficult to determine a specific date due to extraordinary circumstances.

The upcoming legal schedule for President Lee includes a series of criminal trials.

He is scheduled to appear in the first hearing of a case related to allegations concerning the development of Daejang-dong and Wirye and Seongnam FC on June 24, while a preparation hearing will take place on July 1 for a case involving the alleged misuse of Gyeonggi government corporate credit cards.

A separate hearing on July 22 will address allegations of illegal money transfers to North Korea involving the underwear company Ssangbangwool.

The Daejang-dong case centers on allegations that President Lee, during his tenure as mayor of Seongnam, enabled a private consortium to reap massive profits from the Daejang-dong real estate development while limiting the city's share.

The Wirye case involves allegations that he structured a real estate development project in Wirye — an area that stretches from Songpa District, southern Seoul, to Gyeonggi — to favor private investors during his mayorship, similar to the Daejang-dong case.

The Seongnam FC case also concerns allegations that during his term as mayor, he solicited corporate donations to the city-run football club in exchange for business favors such as zoning approval or regulatory benefits.

A second trial date has not yet been set for Lee’s perjury subornation case following his acquittal in the first trial.

As the Supreme Court previously stated that the applicability of presidential immunity under Article 84 is a matter for individual courts to decide, the postponed Public Official Election Act trial could become a legal benchmark.

The decision to proceed reflects the first judicial interpretation of whether constitutional immunity applies strictly to new indictments or also shields sitting presidents from active trials.

Updated, June 9, 2025: Added details about President Lee Jae-myung's upcoming trials.

BY LIM JEONG-WON, CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]