Republic of Korea - March 2025

On 26 March, a South Korean appeals court overturned a 2024 lower court ruling that had found main opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung guilty of violating election laws. The charges against Lee originated from allegedly false claims he made during a 2021 parliamentary audit as governor, regarding a land development project that took place while he served as mayor of Seongnam. If the original ruling had been upheld, Lee would have lost his parliamentary seat, been sentenced to two years in prison and been barred from seeking elected office for ten years. The case has a high level of political relevance in light of the upcoming presidential election. Lee stated that the case was politically motivated and that the ruling vindicated him. Prosecutors said they plan to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. While the election law violation case was considered Lee’s most significant legal challenge, he still faces several other trials on charges including bribery and other crimes related to a USD 1 billion property development scandal.

Sources: The Korea Times, The Korean Herald, Al Jazeera, Chosun Daily, CSIS