South Korea's largest opposition party leader found guilty = ”Red light on the road to becoming president” says South Korean media

The Seoul Central District Court in South Korea has indicted Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party, on charges of violating the Public Offices Election Act for making false statements in connection with the 2022 presidential election.
He was sentenced to one year in prison and two years of probation (the prosecution had called for two years of prison). Lee ran for president in 2022 but lost narrowly to current President Yoon Seok-yeol.
Lee is also seen as a leading opposition candidate in the upcoming presidential election, but if the Supreme Court ruling is finalized, he will be barred from running. There are multiple allegations against Lee, and four trials have been ongoing so far.
The Asia Ilbo newspaper said, "With the guilty verdict in the first of the four trials currently pending against Lee, the judicial risk for Lee is expected to increase even further," and added, "Lee's path to the presidency is
The red light has been turned on for Lee. Lee is under suspicion of bribery in relation to the urban development he implemented while he was mayor of Seongnam, a suburb of Seoul.
In 2021, when he was a candidate in the last presidential election, he claimed in the National Assembly that the change in use of land in Korea was made under duress from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (a ministry is equivalent to a ministry) and was the result of that allegation.
At the sentencing hearing on the 15th of this month, the district court ruled that Lee's statement was false. "If false facts are made public to voters during the election process, voters will not be able to make the right choice.
"The crime cannot be described as light in that there is a risk that the functioning of the electoral system and the essence of representative democracy will be undermined, leading to a distortion of public opinion," the court said, finding him guilty.
After the ruling, Lee spoke to reporters in front of the district court, expressing his dissatisfaction, saying, "The conclusion is completely unacceptable based on the basic facts," and indicated his intention to appeal.
"The matter remains before the Supreme Court and the High Court," he said, adding, "I believe that if the public base their judgment on common sense and justice, they will be able to reach a sufficient conclusion."
The ruling has drawn criticism from the Democratic Party of Korea, of which Lee is the chairman, and Cho
Sun-nae, the chief spokesman for the Democratic Party, expressed his anger, saying, "The verdict is a response to the prosecution's attempt to kill the presidential candidate and eliminate political opponents of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration."
"We will fight together with Lee without wavering," said the ruling People Power Party. Meanwhile, the ruling party People Power Party commented, "Lee and the Democratic Party should humbly accept the ruling and apologize."
Representative Ng Dong-hoon wrote on social media, "We respect and express our respect for the decision of the judiciary," and added, "The People Power Party will work with the people to protect the independence of the judiciary and our will to take the offensive."
"(The judiciary) has demonstrated that justice is alive in the Republic of Korea," said floor leader Joo Kyung-ho. Lee has been named as a leading candidate for the Democratic Party in the 2027 presidential election.
However, if the Supreme Court ruling is finalized, Lee will lose his seat in the National Assembly, be barred from running for office for 10 years, and will be barred from running for office again. He is currently undergoing trial in several other cases.
The outcome of the trial is sure to have an impact on the political situation leading up to the next presidential election. The South Korean newspaper Hankyoreh reported, "The unexpected sentence has generated a flood of comments from the opposition party calling it 'shocking.'"
"As Lee, the opposition's leading presidential candidate, is now faced with the choice between political downfall or becoming president, the opposition is expected to step up its fight against the ruling party,"
The Hankyoreh further stated, "It is expected that the ruling and opposition parties will move forward into a 'life-or-death' confrontation. The series of trials expected to take place one after the other will be a major turning point for Lee's political career.
"In order to prevent this from leading to people taking their own lives, the opposition party is likely to 'bet everything' on the 'early resignation of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration' before the verdict is finalized," he said.