The Seoul Central District Court on Friday sentenced opposition figure Lee Jae-myung to a suspended one-year prison term for making false statements before the 2022 presidential elections, according to a news release issued by South Korean member of parliament Lee So-young.
The court found that Lee Jae-myung violated the Public Official Election Act (POEA) by making statements during the election period that misled voters. The court held that while freedom of speech must be recognized, the court must also recognize the distorting impact false statements and incorrect information have on public opinion.
The court found that while Lee lied during a December 2021 interview when he denied knowing a South Korean public official who appeared to be involved in a corrupt development project in Seoul, this lie did not violate the POEA. The court did find, however, that false claims made by Lee regarding a development project as the mayor of Seongnam constituted a violation of the act. Lee’s claims misled the government by insinuating that a decision to rezone an area for development was imposed by the land ministry. In reality, the land was developed into apartment complexes by a private developer who received preferential treatment from Lee.
After the trial, Lee Jae-myung told local reporters that he would appeal the verdict. Furthermore, he stated on social media that Friday’s ruling was part of a series of politically motivated investigations and trials that have been targeting him since he lost the 2022 elections. The Democratic Party of Korea echoed Lee’s statement in a press release. The party described the court’s decision as “a clear political ruling” and added that it will “work with the people to clarify the truth and establish judicial justice in the upcoming appeal hearing.”
Lee So-young also criticized the court’s ruling, arguing that the prison sentence was excessive and disproportionate to the actions of the convicted politician. She pointed out that Lee’s loss in the elections indicated that the alleged acts did not influence the results. Furthermore, she emphasized that even if the purpose of Lee’s statements was to win the presidential elections, the appropriate penalty would be a fine rather than imprisonment. Lastly, she noted that Lee’s statements were merely passive responses to questions during an interview or state audit and that they thus could not be classified as the publication of false information under Article 250 of the POEA, which she said pertains to the publishing of printed documents.
Lee Jae-myung is a member of the South Korean Parliament and the leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea. He served as the mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi Province before running for the 2022 presidential elections, which he lost to current President Yoon Suk Yeol. In January, he survived a knife attack.
In addition to Friday’s trial, Lee Jay-myung faces three other trials for corruption, suborning a mayoral secretary to testify in his favor, and bribery. If Friday’s ruling is upheld, it would result in the loss of his parliamentary seat and prevent him from running for the upcoming presidential elections.
