South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung has been convicted of violating election law and sentenced to a suspended prison term by a court in Seoul. The court found that Lee made false statements while denying corruption allegations during a presidential campaign. The ruling could potentially unseat Lee as a lawmaker and prevent him from running for president in the next election.
Lee plans to appeal the verdict, which sentenced him to one year in prison, suspended for two years. Under South Korean law, receiving a penalty exceeding a 1 million won fine for election law violations or any prison sentence for other crimes would result in losing his legislative seat and being barred from running in elections for five years.
Prosecutors indicted Lee over charges related to two controversial development projects in Seongnam, where he served as mayor from 2010 to 2018. The court found him guilty of making false claims regarding a land-use designation change in Baekhyeon-dong, while acquitting him on most charges related to another development project in Daejang-dong.
The court emphasized the importance of preventing false information from influencing voters during an election process, stating that such actions could distort the will of the people and damage the electoral system.
Lee faces two more trials, including one involving allegations of suborning perjury by pressuring a city employee to give false testimony. Another significant trial relates to criminal allegations from his time as Seongnam mayor, where he is accused of providing unlawful favors to private investors.
Despite denying any wrongdoing, Lee has accused the government of pursuing a political vendetta against him. Meanwhile, President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing his own political scandal involving allegations of inappropriate influence in candidate selection for a parliamentary by-election.
