Appeals court holds first hearing in Lee Jae-myung subornation case

Democratic Party leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on March 11 for the first hearing of his trial on charges of corruption and breach of trust tied to the Daejang-dong and Wirye-dong developments in Seongnam, Gyeonggi. [YONHAP] The Seoul High Court on Thursday held the first hearing of the prosecution’s appeal against Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung’s acquittal on charges that he suborned a witness in a previous case to commit perjury on his behalf. The hearing comes just over three months after the Seoul Central District Court found Lee not guilty of coaching a former Seongnam official to testify falsely in February 2019, while Lee was on trial for an alleged violation of the Public Official Election Act. In that case, prosecutors had accused Lee of lying during his successful bid for the Gyeonggi governorship in 2018. Specifically, they alleged he falsely claimed to have been wrongfully convicted in 2002 for impersonating a prosecutor while gathering information for a KBS producer about a residential development scandal in Seongnam. Under Supreme Court sentencing guidelines for violations of the Public Official Election Act, candidates who make false statements during a campaign can face a prison sentence of up to two years or a fine of up to 10 million won (approximately $7,130). Although Lee was acquitted in the original case, prosecutors later alleged that he escaped conviction by persuading former Seongnam official Kim Jin-seong to testify that he had been framed by Lee and KBS. In November of last year, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that Lee’s request to Kim to testify on his behalf did not amount to subornation of perjury. However, the court also found that some of Kim’s testimony was false and fined him 5 million won. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office subsequently appealed the ruling, questioning how Kim could be convicted of perjury while Lee was not found guilty of influencing him to provide false testimony. Related ArticleDP's Lee argues election law is unconstitutional during appeal hearingDP chief Lee Jae-myung acquitted of suborning mayoral official Court hands DP's Lee suspended prison sentence in election law violation case This case marks the second of five criminal indictments against Lee to go to trial. On March 26, the Seoul High Court is expected to rule on Lee’s appeal of a lower court conviction related to charges of lying during a 2021 state audit of the Gyeonggi provincial government, just as he launched his presidential campaign. Under Korean law, a politician found guilty of lying to promote or defend their election bid can be barred from running for office for ten years. Lee, who served as Seongnam’s mayor from 2010 to 2018, is also facing charges of breach of trust. Prosecutors allege he skewed a development profit distribution scheme to favor minor investors over the city-owned developer. The first hearing for this case was held at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday, where Lee was in attendance. Separately, Lee has been indicted on charges of third-party bribery and violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act during his time as governor. Prosecutors have accused him of funneling a total of $8 million to North Korea through intermediaries between 2019 and 2020. In November, Lee was further indicted on charges of misappropriating public funds from the Gyeonggi provincial government. BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]

Appeals court holds first hearing in Lee Jae-myung subornation case Published: 11 Mar. 2025, 17:08 MICHAEL LEE [email protected] Democratic Party leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on March 11 for the first hearing of his trial on charges of corruption and breach of trust tied to the Daejang-dong and Wirye-dong developments in Seongnam, Gyeonggi.

[YONHAP] The Seoul High Court on Thursday held the first hearing of the prosecution’s appeal against Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung’s acquittal on charges that he suborned a witness in a previous case to commit perjury on his behalf. The hearing comes just over three months after the Seoul Central District Court found Lee not guilty of coaching a former Seongnam official to testify falsely in February 2019, while Lee was on trial for an alleged violation of the Public Official Election Act. In that case, prosecutors had accused Lee of lying during his successful bid for the Gyeonggi governorship in 2018.

Specifically, they alleged he falsely claimed to have been wrongfully convicted in 2002 for impersonating a prosecutor while gathering information for a KBS producer about a residential development scandal in Seongnam. Under Supreme Court sentencing guidelines for violations of the Public Official Election Act, candidates who make false statements during a campaign can face a prison sentence of up to two years or a fine of up to 10 million won (approximately $7,130). Although Lee was acquitted in the original case, prosecutors later alleged that he escaped conviction by persuading former Seongnam official Kim Jin-seong to testify that he had been framed by Lee and KBS.

In November of last year, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that Lee’s request to Kim to testify on his behalf did not amount to subornation of perjury. However, the court also found that some of Kim’s testimony was false and fined him 5 million won. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office subsequently appealed the ruling, questioning how Kim could be convicted of perjury while Lee was not found guilty of influencing him to provide false testimony.

Related Article DP's Lee argues election law is unconstitutional during appeal hearing DP chief Lee Jae-myung acquitted of suborning mayoral official Court hands DP's Lee suspended prison sentence in election law violation case This case marks the second of five criminal indictments against Lee to go to trial. On March 26, the Seoul High Court is expected to rule on Lee’s appeal of a lower court conviction related to charges of lying during a 2021 state audit of the Gyeonggi provincial government, just as he launched his presidential campaign. Under Korean law, a politician found guilty of lying to promote or defend their election bid can be barred from running for office for ten years.

Lee, who served as Seongnam’s mayor from 2010 to 2018, is also facing charges of breach of trust. Prosecutors allege he skewed a development profit distribution scheme to favor minor investors over the city-owned developer. The first hearing for this case was held at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday, where Lee was in attendance.

Separately, Lee has been indicted on charges of third-party bribery and violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act during his time as governor. Prosecutors have accused him of funneling a total of $8 million to North Korea through intermediaries between 2019 and 2020. In November, Lee was further indicted on charges of misappropriating public funds from the Gyeonggi provincial government.

BY MICHAEL LEE [ [email protected] ] var admarutag = admarutag || {} admarutag.cmd = admarutag.cmd || [] admarutag.

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