1st Trial: 1 Year Prison Sentence, 2 Years Probation – ‘Loss of Parliamentary Seat’
Prosecution Appeals Against 2-Year Sentence for Misjudgment
Lee Appeals, Claiming “Unacceptable Verdict”
The prosecution has appealed against the first-instance court ruling on Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung’s violation of the Public Official Election Act. On the 22nd, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office announced its appeal against Lee’s sentence of one year in prison with a two-year suspension for charges related to election law violations.
A prosecutor’s office official identified “errors of fact, misinterpretation of the law, and unfair sentencing” as reasons for the appeal. The statement emphasized their commitment to proving that Lee’s statement denying knowledge of Kim Moon-ki refutes both public and private relations with him, ensuring a sentence that reflects Lee’s responsibility.
Previously, on the 15th, the 34th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Lee to one year in prison with a two-year suspension. The court highlighted the risk of distorting public opinion through false information disclosure, particularly when the allegations against Lee were a matter of public interest and widely disseminated via broadcast media.
The court noted, “The responsibility and crime are significantly heavy,” while acknowledging the necessity of freedom of expression during elections. However, it also stressed that public opinion can be distorted by collecting false information.
If a suspended sentence, including imprisonment, is confirmed in election law cases, Lee will face a 10-year restriction on voting and candidacy rights, preventing him from running in the next presidential election in 2027.
Lee was indicted in September 2022 for allegedly making false statements related to Kim Moon-ki and the Baekhyeon-dong development during his candidacy for the 2021 Democratic Party’s presidential primaries. He reportedly stated in a December 2021 interview, “I didn’t know Director Kim from when I was mayor; he was a lower-level employee,” denying familiarity with Kim as a false claim.
Additional charges involved allegations made during the Gyeonggi provincial audit in October 2021, where Lee claimed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport pressured him on the changes in zoning for the Korea Food Research Institute site in Baekhyeon-dong, alleging threats of job negligence claims if the changes were not made.
The prosecution argues that Lee made these false claims to influence the election, while Lee counters that the statements fall into subjective perception without intent. The court partly acquitted Lee on claims of not knowing Kim but found him guilty on claims regarding intimidation over zoning changes.
Lee also appealed against the first-trial ruling, describing it as an unacceptable conclusion that contradicts basic fact recognition in a meeting with reporters following the verdict on the 15th. He urged the public to evaluate the ruling based on “common sense and justice,” further submitting an appeal to the court a day later.