Lee Jae-myung Appeal Trial Verdict on March 26...Prosecution Seeks 2-Year Prison Sentence (Comprehensive Report 2)

Prosecution: "Distorting Voters' Judgment with Lies Requires Punishment"
Lee: "Abuse of Prosecutorial Power... I Had No Awareness of Falsehood"

The appellate court ruling on Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, regarding charges of false statements under the Public Official Election Act has been scheduled for 2 p.m. on the 26th of next month.

The Seoul High Court Criminal Division 6-2 (Presiding Judges Choi Eun-jung, Lee Ye-seul, and Jung Jae-oh) set the sentencing date during the closing arguments held on the 26th. The prosecution requested the same sentence as in the first trial: two years in prison.

The prosecution stated that the application of the Public Official Election Act should not vary depending on the defendant's status or political situation, emphasizing that "strict punishment is necessary regardless of position for those who distort voters' choices through lies."

They particularly argued that "the vote difference in the 20th presidential election was only 0.73 percentage points," and "Lee's statements had a significant impact on voters' judgment." They also said, "He actively lied based on pre-prepared materials during the National Assembly audit," adding, "He turned the audit, which represents the people’s oversight, into a stage for lies."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the appeal trial for the election law violation case held on the 26th at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

Lee denied the charges in his final statement lasting 30 minutes. He said, "The prosecution is excessive. I have never said anything I believed to be false," and added, "I do not consider this a proper exercise of prosecutorial authority. How could a politician speak if they were accused of saying things they never said?"

Regarding his remarks about Baekhyeon-dong, he admitted, "I exaggerated when I said it was a threat," explaining, "I was angry. At first, I said it was pressure, but as the conversation went on, I expressed it as a threat. Regardless, I made problematic remarks."

On his statement denying knowing Kim Moon-gi, former Head of Development Division 1 at Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, he said, "I recall there were concerns about Seongnam city officials regarding dereliction of duty, negligence, and incompetence," and added, "It was my fault for not expressing this accurately and speaking without evidence, but please consider that this arose from my lack of expression."

Lee was indicted for making false statements during a broadcast interview in December 2021, when he was the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, by claiming he did not know the late Kim Moon-gi. He is also charged with making false statements about pressure from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport regarding the change of use of the Korean Food Research Institute site in Baekhyeon-dong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

The prosecution directly refuted Lee’s claim of not knowing Kim Moon-gi. They stated, "During a business trip to Australia, only three people?Yoo Dong-gyu, Kim Moon-gi, and the defendant?played golf for five hours, which suggests how unusual it was to play golf during an official overseas trip," adding, "The three also went fishing together just two days after playing golf."

Regarding the Baekhyeon-dong remarks, the prosecution said, "The Democratic Party’s presidential primary was fiercely contested to the extent it was called the 'Myeong-nak (Lee Jae-myung and Lee Nak-yon) battle,' and with the Daejang-dong scandal and Baekhyeon-dong allegations emerging, the defendant was cornered," adding, "He meticulously prepared to use the nationally broadcast live National Assembly audit."

The prosecution cited Lee’s autobiography, stating, "Lies leave indelible wounds on the people and oneself. I call such politicians fraudsters," emphasizing, "This is a statement Lee himself made 20 years ago."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the appeal trial for the election law violation case held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 26th.

Lee’s defense attorney argued, "Even if some unclear expressions arose spontaneously during a debate program, they cannot be considered as public disclosure," and added, "The false statement provision should not punish slips of the tongue or inaccurate expressions."

Regarding the Baekhyeon-dong remarks, the defense said, "The defendant responded continuously from morning to evening during the National Assembly audit, where the continuity and spontaneity of oral expressions were maximized," and cited Supreme Court precedents stating, "When lies were not actively used, they should not be interpreted as lies."

They further stated, "This case was constructed by maximizing the scope of false statement disclosure through interpretation and inference," and added, "It can be seen as an extension of investigations and prosecutions aimed at eliminating a political opponent."

After the trial, Lee told reporters, "The prosecution’s demand is not important; the substance is," and said, "I believe the judiciary will make a wise and just judgment based on the substantive truth."

On November 15 last year, the first trial court recognized Lee’s statements denying playing golf with Kim Moon-gi and his remarks about Baekhyeon-dong as false and sentenced him to one year in prison with a two-year probation.

If the same sentence is upheld in this appeal and confirmed by the Supreme Court, Lee will lose his eligibility to run for office, making it impossible for him to run in the next presidential election.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.