South Korean Opposition Leader’s Path Cleared to Presidency

The conviction of South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on charges of violating election laws was overturned this week, removing the main hurdle to the popular politician’s future presidential bid, Reuters reported.

The Seoul High Court on Wednesday overruled a lower court and invalidated Lee’s conviction on charges of making a false claim during a 2021 parliamentary audit of a land development project in the city of Seongnam, where he served as mayor.

After the verdict, Lee said the court’s decision vindicated him and showed the case was politically motivated, according to Al Jazeera.

In 2024, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Lee to one year in prison – a sentence that was suspended for two years – and one that, if upheld, would have stripped him of his parliamentary seat and jeopardized his run for the presidency.

After the ruling, however, prosecutors said they would appeal it to the Supreme Court.

Lee is leading the polls as the most likely candidate to replace President Yoon Suk-yeol if the embattled leader’s impeachment for his short-lived declaration of martial law in December is upheld by the Constitutional Court.

If upheld, South Korea must hold a snap election within 60 days.

Lee ran against Yoon in the 2022 presidential election and lost by the narrowest margin in the country’s electoral history.

However, Lee – the leader of the Democratic Party – faces other legal challenges on charges ranging from bribery to his involvement in a property development scandal.

According to South Korean law, politicians convicted of election law violations and fined $680 or more, or given a suspended sentence, are barred from running for elections for at least five years and lose their parliamentary seats.