South Korean opposition leader found guilty of violating election law, Yonha reports

SEOUL – A South Korean court on Friday convicted main opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung on charges of violating the election law and gave him a one-year prison sentence suspended for two years, Yonhap news agency reported.

After the hearing, Lee said he would appeal the court’s decision.

“I will object. Starting from the basic facts, this is a conclusion that is difficult to accept,” he said.

If any prison sentence or fine of one million won ($710) or more is finalized, Lee would be stripped of his seat in parliament and the right to run in any elections for the next five years.

When Lee arrived at the Seoul Central District Court, his supporters chanted his name as he entered, while a group of protesters also gathered near the court.

Lee, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, who narrowly lost to President Yoon Suk Yeol in the 2022 elections, faces at least four trials after being accused of multiple crimes including bribery and corruption.

The court ruled Friday on charges that, as a 2021 presidential candidate, he violated election law by making false statements that he did not know a city official in charge of a development project.

The project in the city of Seongnam, where he served as mayor, has since become the center of controversy, raising corruption allegations against Lee.

Lee was also accused of making a false claim during a parliamentary audit of a land development project in Seongnam in 2021 while he was serving as mayor.

Prosecutors had requested a two-year prison sentence.

Lee is expected to run in the 2027 presidential elections. He was stabbed in the neck by a man during an event in January, survived a knife attack and underwent surgery.

His party then won a landslide victory in April’s parliamentary elections, dealing a blow to President Yoon and the ruling party.

Lee, who faces another sentencing hearing on perjury charges later this month, and his party have accused prosecutors of pursuing a politically motivated case against him. REUTERS