Kang Hoon-sik: "Lee Jae-myung Trial, Suspension of New Assignment Is a Political Decision"

Only One-Third of Public Official Election Act Appeals Trials Completed Within Three Months
Criticism Over Political Pressure for Expedited Trial of Lee Jaemyung

Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Hoon-sik introduced that only about one-third of the appeals trials for the Public Official Election Act were completed within three months. There were also criticisms that the suspension of new case assignments to expedite the trial of Lee Jae-myung was a political decision.

Based on data received from the Supreme Court on the 22nd, Kang said, "Over the past six years (2019~2024.11), the proportion of appeals trials for Public Official Election Act cases processed within three months is only 35%." In particular, last year, 84% of the trials exceeding three months amounted to 203 out of 241 cases.

Kang criticized the recent move by the Court Administration Office to stop assigning new cases to Lee's appeals trial panel, saying, "Pressuring for a speedy trial is a political decision by the judiciary and judicial misconduct that effectively intimidates individual trial panels."

Kang Hoon-sik, a candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea's party leader, is holding a press conference related to the party convention at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 31st. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

He also harshly criticized the People Power Party for pressuring for a speedy trial related to Lee. Kang said, "The People Power Party is pressuring the trial panel by citing the 6·3·3 processing guideline, but in their own trial (the case where they were indicted in 2019 for special obstruction of official duties during the National Assembly fast-track clash), they submitted a total of 110 absence excuse letters and absence permission applications, and 27 defendants were absent a total of 342 times during the trial process," adding, "New case assignments should be suspended only for the fast-track case trial panel."