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Court postpones president's development scandal trial indefinitely

Published: 10 Jun. 2025, 17:29

President Lee Jae-myung bangs the gavel at a Cabinet meeting held at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, on June 10. [YONHAP]

A Seoul court on Tuesday postponed the hearing for President Lee Jae-myung’s trial regarding the Daejang-dong development scandal — a day after an appellate court paused his trial for alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act.

As a result, three of the five ongoing criminal trials involving President Lee have now been effectively suspended.

The Seoul Central District Court changed the hearing date for Lee’s trial involving the Daejang-dong, Wirye, Baekhyeon-dong and Seongnam FC allegations to “to be decided.” A court official said the judge applied Article 84 of the Constitution in postponing the trial for President Lee.

After Lee’s election victory, he became entitled to presidential immunity from criminal prosecution. Article 84 of the Constitution stipulates that “The president shall not be charged with a criminal offense during his tenure of office except for insurrection or treason.”

The trial had already been postponed once before — originally scheduled ahead of the presidential election, it was moved to June 27 after the court accepted a request from Lee, who at the time was campaigning as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.

The Seoul High Court building in southern Seoul on May 2 [NEWS1]

Tuesday’s decision marked the second time since Lee’s election that a court has suspended a criminal proceeding against him. On Monday, the Seoul High Court delayed the appeals trial concerning alleged election law violations, also citing Article 84. That ruling clarified ambiguity over the term “prosecution,” concluding that it includes not only indictments but also ongoing trials — suggesting that the other four cases would follow suit.

Following the latest ruling, three of the five trials against President Lee have now been temporarily paused. The trials include: the appeals trial over election law violations; the appeals trial over charges of inciting perjury; the first trial for the Daejang-dong, Wirye, Baekhyeon-dong and Seongnam FC scandals; the first trial concerning the alleged remittance to North Korea and the first trial concerning the alleged misuse of a Gyeonggi government corporate card.

The appeals trial over inciting perjury was also slated to begin on May 20, but the court later changed the date to “to be decided” and has yet to set a new date, effectively putting that case on hold as well. Hearings for the corporate card case and the remittance case are currently scheduled for July 1 and July 22, respectively, at the Suwon District Court, but those, too, are expected to be delayed in line with the indefinite postponement precedent.

President Lee Jae-myung attends the Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, on June 10. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Lee Jae-myung speaks at the Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, on June 10. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

However, the trial of Jeong Jin-sang, a former political affairs chief to Lee and a co-defendant in the Daejang-dong case, will proceed. The court has scheduled Jeong’s next hearing for July 15.

The case involves four main issues: preferential treatment in the Daejang-dong, Wirye and Baekhyeon-dong development projects, and illicit corporate donations to Seongnam FC. The court has already completed its examination of the Wirye allegations and is now hearing arguments related to the Daejang-dong portion.

Co-defendants like Jeong, who are not covered by presidential immunity, are expected to receive first rulings while Lee remains in office. In the perjury trial, Kim Jin-seong — a former aide to the late Seongnam Mayor Kim Byung-ryang — is being tried alongside Lee. In the remittance case, Lee Hwa-young, former deputy governor of Gyeonggi, and Kim Seong-tae, former Ssangbangwool Group chairman, have also been indicted. Two former Gyeonggi provincial officials are co-defendants in the corporate card case.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHOI SEO-IN [[email protected]]