Lee Jae-myung, chair of the main opposition Democratic Party, holds up a placard during a mass rally in central Seoul on Saturday, demanding an independent counsel investigation into allegations involving first lady Kim Keon Hee. (Yonhap)
The Seoul Central District Court is set to rule Monday on perjury subornation charges against Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party.
The ruling of the first trial comes just 10 days after Lee received a suspended prison sentence in a separate trial for violating the Public Official Election Act, further compounding the legal challenges that could cost him his parliamentary seat and jeopardize his presidential aspirations.
Prosecutors filed the perjury subornation case against Lee in September, seeking a three-year prison sentence. They allege that Lee pressured Kim Jin-seong, a secretary to former Seongnam Mayor Kim Byung-ryang, to provide false testimony during a 2018 trial, aiming to strengthen his defense.
The 2018 case was tied to Lee’s 2004 conviction for impersonating a prosecutor. At that time, Lee collaborated with a TV news producer to investigate then-Seongnam Mayor Kim over a real estate corruption scandal. Lee was ultimately fined 1.5 million won ($1,100) for his role.
During a 2018 televised debate, while campaigning for Gyeonggi governor, Lee said the 2004 conviction was based on false accusations. His denial prompted prosecutors to charge him with making false statements during the election. However, in 2020, Lee was acquitted by the Supreme Court.
Prosecutors now allege that in December 2018, during the trial over his election statements, Lee urged Kim Jin-seong via phone to testify in his favor. They claim that Kim’s testimony played a key role in Lee's 2020 acquittal by the Supreme Court, effectively overturning the previous conviction.
By linking these events, prosecutors allege a deliberate effort by Lee to rewrite the narrative surrounding his legal troubles and secure favorable court outcomes.
The prosecution said Lee deserves a heavy punishment, given the seriousness of the alleged crime that "disrupts the judicial order and causes confusion in society."
"Perjury is a serious crime that hinders the discovery of the truth, disrupts the legal system, and creates societal confusion," the prosecution said. "By repeatedly lying about crucial issues that significantly shape voters' rational decisions and encouraging perjury to conceal the lies, the core of democracy has been deeply undermined."
The prosecution accused Lee of "meticulously" executing his plan as if he were "giving a student the answers for a perfect score." The prosecution also said that "this approach is rarely seen in similar cases."
Although the secretary largely admitted to giving false testimony at Lee's request, Lee has consistently denied the charges, saying he only asked the secretary to testify based on his recollection and accusing prosecutors of making a false indictment.
Lee’s political future hangs in the balance, contingent on the sentencing outcome.
If Lee receives a finalized prison sentence in this case, he would lose his parliamentary seat and be disqualified from running for any public office, including the 2027 presidential election, until the sentence is fully served or overturned.
If the sentence is suspended, Lee would still be stripped of his parliamentary seat but would regain eligibility to run for office once the suspension period ends. In contrast, a financial penalty -- regardless of the amount -- would not affect his status as a lawmaker or his ability to seek public office.
This legal battle is one of several high-profile cases entangling Lee, each with the potential to reshape his political career and influence the Democratic Party’s strategy and leadership. These include allegations of corruption tied to Seongnam development projects and an alleged $8 million illicit cash transfer to North Korea.
On Nov. 15, he was handed a one-year suspended prison sentence for allegedly making false statements during the 2022 presidential campaign.
Just days later, on Nov. 19, Lee was indicted without detention over allegations of misappropriating public funds. Prosecutors claim that during his tenure as Gyeonggi governor, he misused provincial government funds, including corporate cards, for personal expenses.
The mounting legal challenges underscore the precarious balance between Lee’s political ambitions and the legal battles threatening to derail them.
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