"All Acquitted in 2nd Trial" Lee: "Prosecution Should Reflect on Its Actions and Avoid Wasting National Resources"

Lee Jaemyung Acquitted of All Charges
Under the Public Official Election Act

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who was acquitted in the appeal trial for violating the Public Official Election Act, is greeting supporters after the second trial sentencing hearing on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act held at the Seoul High Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on March 26, 2025. Photo by Joint Press Corps

On the 26th, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who was acquitted in the appellate trial on charges of false statement under the Public Official Election Act, said, "The prosecution should reflect on their actions and stop wasting national resources," adding, "Isn't this the natural order of things?"

In his remarks immediately after the verdict on the Public Official Election Act case, Lee said, "I am grateful for the proper judgment based on truth and justice," and added, "I find it truly absurd that so much energy and national capacity were exhausted to bring about these obvious outcomes."

He stated, "If the prosecution and this administration had used the resources they spent fabricating evidence and manipulating cases to catch Lee Jae-myung on preventing forest fires or improving the lives of the people, how much better the world would be."

On the same day, the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 6-2 (Presiding Judges Choi Eun-jung, Lee Ye-seul, and Jung Jae-oh) completely overturned the first trial, which sentenced Lee to one year in prison with a two-year suspended sentence, and acquitted him of all charges. The court ruled that the prosecution's claims of guilt were unfounded regarding Lee's statements about not knowing Kim Moon-gi, former head of the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation's first division, and his remarks related to the Baekhyeon-dong development.

With the acquittal in the second trial, a green light has been turned on for Lee's presidential campaign. If the second trial verdict is confirmed by the Supreme Court, Lee will face no restrictions in maintaining his parliamentary seat or running in the next presidential election.