South Korean opposition leader convicted for violating election law
Al Jazeera
Lee Jae-myung says he will appeal the court’s decision, which could bar him from running for president in 2027.
South Korea’s main opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, has been convicted on charges of violating the country’s election law and handed a one-year suspended prison sentence.
The Seoul Central District Court on Friday found the leader of the Democratic Party (DP) guilty of making false statements before the 2022 presidential election in violation of the Public Official Election Act.
If upheld, the ruling will strip Lee of his parliamentary seat and bar him from running in the next presidential election in 2027, as the law prohibits him from running for public office for the next five years.
Lee said after the hearing that he would appeal the court’s decision.
“I will be appealing. Beginning with the basic facts, it is a conclusion that is difficult to accept,” he told reporters.
