Focused on Practical Centrist Livelihood Efforts
Democratic Party Intensifies Pressure on Ruling Party Struggle
Attention on Securing Stable Support Rate in the 30% Range
Lee Jae-myung Acquitted in First Trial of Perjury Coaching Case
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, was acquitted in the first trial related to charges of perjury coaching. On the 15th, Lee faced a political crisis after being sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year suspended sentence for violating the Public Official Election Act. This acquittal is expected to mark an important turning point for him.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled that there was "insufficient evidence to prove the intentionality of perjury coaching." The court explained that Lee’s actions, such as communicating with witness Kim Jin-sung or delivering a summary of arguments, fell within the normal scope of exercising the right to defense. Following this, the Democratic Party is focusing on strategizing for the post-trial phase amid an encouraged atmosphere.
The perjury coaching case originated from the "prosecutor impersonation incident" that occurred during Lee’s tenure as mayor of Seongnam in 2002. The incident began when a KBS PD claimed that there was an act of impersonating a prosecutor while calling the Seongnam mayor for an interview. Later, during the 2018 Gyeonggi Province governor election debate, Lee stated, "The PD impersonated, and I was wrongfully accused."
The issue lies in the fact that Kim Jin-sung, the key witness in this case, was fined 5 million won for perjury in the related trial. The prosecution argued that Lee had coached Kim to commit perjury, but the court did not accept this, citing a lack of intentionality.
Conflicting Positions of the Ruling and Opposition Parties
The People Power Party expressed strong dissatisfaction with the acquittal. Representative Kim Ki-hyun criticized, "The court’s arbitrary judgment is unacceptable." Representative Kwon Seong-dong pointed out, "This ruling contradicts legal principles and common sense." Particularly, the People Power Party finds it hard to accept that Lee was acquitted despite allegations that he instructed perjury, while the perjurer was punished.
On the other hand, the Democratic Party views this ruling as partially alleviating the party’s political burden. Immediately after the verdict, Lee Jae-myung said, "I thank the judiciary," and added, "I will focus on the suffering of the people." Within the Democratic Party, expectations are rising that this ruling will serve as a catalyst for party unity and intensified opposition against the ruling party.
Appeal Trial and Remaining Cases... Lee Jae-myung’s Risks Persist
Lee Jae-myung’s judicial risks have not been fully resolved. Both the Public Official Election Act violation and the perjury coaching cases have only been judged in the first trial, and political circumstances could change significantly depending on the appeal trial results. Especially, the Public Official Election Act case is likely to receive a Supreme Court ruling in the first half of next year, continuing to pose a political burden for Lee.
Additionally, Lee faces three more upcoming trials: allegations of corruption related to the Daejang-dong and Baekhyeon-dong development projects, suspicions of remittances to North Korea during his tenure as governor of Gyeonggi Province, and misuse of corporate credit cards. The Daejang-dong and Baekhyeon-dong cases are expected to have significant political repercussions, and their trial schedules are still in the early stages.
Democratic Party’s Strategy to Combine Livelihood Efforts and Opposition Struggles
Lee Jae-myung plans to minimize political burdens by continuing livelihood-centered activities. He is focusing on issues directly related to citizens’ lives, such as hosting livelihood roundtable meetings and visiting sites of free high school education. The Democratic Party leadership is expected to emphasize solving livelihood issues while strengthening opposition offensives, including pushing for a special investigation law on First Lady Kim Keon-hee and impeachment of prosecutors.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is also monitoring internal conflicts within the ruling party amid political calculations. The People Power Party is experiencing visible internal strife over the possibility of Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice, becoming party leader. The Democratic Party expects this turmoil within the ruling camp to work to their advantage. Lee Jae-myung currently leads preference polls for the next presidential candidate. However, his support rate remaining in the mid-to-high 20% range poses a challenge. Experts analyze that if Lee fails to secure a stable support base above 30%, he may face political crises in the future.
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