Ruling Party Leadership Expresses "Deep Regret" Over Lee Jae-myung's Acquittal in 2nd Trial, Calls for Correction by Supreme Court

Kwon Young-se: "Justice Will Be Restored by the Supreme Court"
Kwon Sung-dong: "No Reasonable Judge Could Rule Not Guilty"

On the 26th, the People Power Party expressed regret after Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, was acquitted in the appeal trial on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act, urging the Supreme Court to make a swift judgment.

Kwon Young-se, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, told reporters at the National Assembly shortly after Lee's verdict in the afternoon, "The trial result today is very regrettable for our party."

Chairman Kwon emphasized, "I believe that the Supreme Court will quickly conduct the trial according to the 6·3·3 principle and justice can be restored," adding, "I only want to express my hope that justice will be corrected."

When asked by reporters whether he thinks the Supreme Court should overturn the ruling, Chairman Kwon said, "I have not seen the verdict document itself, but based on what I have seen in the news, I cannot understand the logic of the appellate court," and emphasized, "I think it should be corrected by the Supreme Court." Regarding a question suggesting that an early presidential election might weaken the justification for Lee's candidacy, he avoided commenting, saying, "since an early election has not been confirmed, I will refrain from discussing it."

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After a field meeting with science and engineering talents at the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science in Daejeon, Floor Leader Kwon also met with reporters and said, "It is very regrettable that the appellate court acquitted a case where the first trial found guilt," pointing out, "Especially since many politicians have lost their political careers due to false information disclosure, it is incomprehensible even from a legal professional's perspective how Lee was acquitted for the same issue."

He continued, "I think the prosecution will appeal. I hope the Supreme Court quickly determines whether it was false information or not and ends the legal controversy," urging prompt action.

Floor Leader Kwon also fiercely criticized the appellate court, saying, "Regarding the Baekhyeon-dong site, Lee's claim that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport pressured and threatened him, forcing a change of use, is a clear falsehood. No reasonable judge could rule not guilty on false information."

He added, "If the appellate court judges had reasonable common sense, they could not have made such a ruling," and claimed, "As the media predicted, it seems the judge's personal tendencies overrode their professional conscience and influenced the decision."

Regarding the appellate court's mention of the possibility that a photo of former Seongnam Development Corporation director Kim Moon-gi and Lee was manipulated, he raised his voice, saying, "I understand that a photo taken by several people was enlarged to highlight Kim Moon-gi and Lee Jae-myung," and "the judgment of manipulation was also wrong."

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Floor Leader Kwon again launched an offensive against the appellate court by citing other politicians who were punished for false information disclosure.

He said, "For example, if a member of the National Assembly did not do their part in building a road but claimed to have helped secure the budget, they would be punished for false information. If proven, they would lose their seat," pointing out, "In Lee's Baekhyeon-dong case, there is no evidence that the Ministry of Land threatened him. Even the witnesses Lee requested testified that there was no threat."

He added, "Then this is a clear lie," and stressed, "Not punishing this means the judiciary is not judging with the conscience of legal professionals but making decisions based on personal tendencies. I believe it will be overturned by the Supreme Court."

When a reporter asked if Lee's appellate ruling would affect President Yoon's impeachment trial verdict, he replied, "They are separate matters," and firmly said, "There will be no impact."

Earlier, the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 6-2 (Presiding Judges Choi Eun-jung, Lee Ye-seul, and Jung Jae-oh) held the second trial verdict for Lee's violation of the Public Official Election Act at 2 p.m. that day, ruling that Lee's statements about his relationship with former director Kim and the Ministry of Land's pressure regarding Baekhyeon-dong could not be considered false information, overturning the first trial and acquitting him. The first trial court had sentenced him on November 15 last year to one year in prison with two years of probation, which included disqualification from candidacy.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the second trial sentencing hearing for charges of violating the Public Official Election Act at the Seoul High Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 26th. 2025.3.26 Photo by Joint Press Corps