The Seoul Central District Court is set to deliver a ruling Monday on charges of perjury subornation by Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party.
A conviction could cost Lee his seat in parliament and jeopardize his presidential ambitions.
Prosecutors filed the case in September, seeking a three-year prison term, accusing Lee of coercing Kim Jin-seong, secretary to former Seongnam Mayor Kim Byung-ryang, to provide false court testimony in his favor in 2018.
Specifically, the case involves Lee's conviction in 2004 for illegally impersonating a prosecutor in collusion with a TV news producer gathering information on then-Seongnam Mayor Kim regarding a real estate scandal. Lee was fined 1.5 million won ($1,100) in the case.
During a 2018 TV debate while running for Gyeonggi governor, he claimed the case was based on false accusations. He was later charged with making false statements during the election but was acquitted in 2020.
Last year, prosecutors charged Lee with urging a secretary of the former Seongnam mayor, over the phone, to testify in his favor during the election falsehood trial in December 2018. Prosecutors suspect the secretary's subsequent testimony, which aligned with Lee's request, led to his acquittal by the Supreme Court.
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.
If Lee receives a finalized prison sentence in this case, he would be stripped of his parliamentary seat and also barred from running for public office, including the 2027 presidential election, until the sentence is served or overturned.
A suspended prison term would also cause Lee to lose his parliamentary seat, but he would only be barred from running until the suspended term ends. However, a fine, regardless of the amount, does not affect his parliamentary seat or eligibility to run for public office.
This legal battle is one of several that Lee is currently embroiled in, with each case potentially altering his political trajectory and affecting the Democratic Party's strategy and leadership.
Lee already faces multiple trials, including a corruption case related to development projects in Seongnam and an alleged illegal cash transfer of $8 million to North Korea.
Moreover, he received a suspended one-year prison sentence on Nov. 15 for allegedly making false statements during the 2022 presidential campaign.
Additionally, on Nov. 19, Lee was indicted without detention for allegedly misappropriating funds, including the misuse of provincial government funds through corporate cards for his personal benefit, during his time as governor of Gyeonggi Province.
If the district court's ruling from Nov. 15 is upheld, it could profoundly impact the political scene, especially for the Democratic Party of Korea. Lee’s political career would face an abrupt end, leaving the Democratic Party without a leader and possibly redefining the party's future path, according to local reports.
