The court has postponed the first trial of the election law violation case against Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, to June 18, after the presidential election. Initially, the trial was scheduled for May 15.
The Seoul High Court stated on the 7th, "To ensure equal campaign opportunities for the defendant, who is a presidential candidate, and to eliminate concerns about fairness in the trial, the trial date will be changed to after the presidential election (June 18)." It added, "The trial panel of the appellate court has maintained an approach of ruling independently and fairly according to the Constitution and laws, without any influence or interference from inside or outside the court, and will continue to do so in the future."
Earlier, Lee's attorney submitted a request for the date change to the 7th Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court (Director General Lee Jae-gwon).
Meanwhile, Lee received a one-year prison sentence with a two-year probation in the first trial for the election law violation case, which was overturned to not guilty in the second trial.
Consequently, the Supreme Court made a ruling to overturn the conviction and sent the case back to the Seoul High Court through a decision by the en banc panel. It determined that a statement made by Lee during the last presidential election, which claimed he "did not play golf with former Seongnam Urban Development Corporation Minister Kim Moon-ki during a business trip abroad" and that the "development of the Baekhyeon-dong apartment was carried out under pressure from the Ministry of Land," constituted the public declaration of false facts.
The Seoul High Court had originally set the first trial in this case for May 15 but has now postponed it to June 18. As a result, the ruling in this case will only be possible after the presidential election.