Court again delays hearing on Lee’s case until after election

The Seoul High Court on Monday postponed its hearing on Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung’s subornation of perjury case due to the upcoming presidential election, following two similar moves by the judiciary last week.

The appellate court said the first hearing in Lee’s subornation of perjury trial, slated for May 20, has been changed to a later date as the defendant registered as a presidential candidate last weekend. The court previously planned to hold the final hearing June 3, which coincides with the presidential election day.

In November last year, Lee was acquitted of suborning a secretary to former Seongnam Mayor Kim Byung-ryang to give false testimony during a 2019 trial on his alleged election law violations. The prosecution then appealed the ruling.

On May 7, the Seoul High Court postponed the first hearing of Lee’s retrial on election law violation charges until after the June 3 presidential election, citing the need to guarantee his right to a fair trial.

The Seoul Central District Court also announced a decision on the same day to suspend ongoing hearings in Lee’s high-profile corruption trial related to development projects in Seongnam until late June.

The DP has demanded that all court trials involving Lee be postponed until after the presidential election.