FILE: South Korea’s opposition leader Lee faces court decision on election laws violation

Record ID: 1987505

  • Title: FILE: South Korea’s opposition leader Lee faces court decision on election laws violation
  • Date: 2nd March 2022
  • Summary: In late 2021, Lee became the presidential candidate for South Korea's ruling party, hoping to gather national support and overcome a property scandal involving a residential development plan when he was mayor of Seongnam in 2015. SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (FILE - OCTOBER 10, 2021) (REUTERS) LEE (LEFT) HOLDING UP FIST AND POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS WITH OTHER RULING DEMOCRATIC PARTY C
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  • Keywords: Busan Democratic Party of Korea Lee Jae-myung South Korea attack election leader opposition party profile
  • Location: SEOUL, GOYANG, GWACHEON, GAPYEONG, GWANGJU, BUSAN, MUAN, SOUTH KOREA
  • City: SEOUL, GOYANG, GWACHEON, GAPYEONG, GWANGJU, BUSAN, MUAN, SOUTH KOREA
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA006853901011970RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: FACES OF PARISHIONERS BLURRED FROM SOURCE IN SHOT 13 TO PROTECT IDENTITIES / THIS EDIT CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES / FACE OF ATTACKER IN SHOT 38 BLURRED TO HIDE HIS IDENTITY
    A South Korean appeals court is set to decide on Wednesday (March 26) whether the country's main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung violated election laws in its previous presidential elections.
    Lee had appealed a conviction from a Seoul court in November 2024 that found Lee guilty of violating the election law, handing him a one-year prison term suspended for two years.
    The court said Lee made a false claim about a land development project in Seongnam when he served as mayor, during a parliamentary audit in 2021 while running as a presidential candidate.
    Lee, head of the main opposition Democratic Party, is widely expected to seek to run in the 2027 presidential election.
    If his appeals fail and the prison sentence becomes final, Lee would be stripped of his parliament seat and his eligibility to run in any elections for the next five years.
    Lee, who narrowly lost to President Yoon Suk Yeol in the 2022 election, faces at least four trials after being indicted on several criminal charges including bribery and corruption.
    (Production: Daewoung Kim, Minwoo Park, Jisoo Kim, Hyunyoung Yi)
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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