Jung Sung-ho: "'Not Guilty' Lee Jae-myung Removes Significant Obstacles to Early Presidential Election"

"Certain Dismissal Even if Taken to the Supreme Court"

Jeong Seong-ho, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated that "if an early presidential election is held, many obstacles have been largely removed" regarding Lee Jae-myung's acquittal in the appeal trial of the Public Official Election Act violation case.

On the 27th, Jeong said on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that "since Lee was indicted, I have said dozens of times through broadcasts and newspaper interviews that he would be acquitted," and evaluated it as "a ruling faithful to legal principles and rules."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is giving a statement after being acquitted in the appeal trial of a violation of the Public Official Election Act held at the Seoul Central District Court on the 26th. Photo by Yonhap News

The prosecution decided to appeal the acquittal verdict in the appeal trial against Lee. Regarding this, Jeong predicted, "It may be a reason for the Supreme Court to accept the appeal, but it is certain to be dismissed."

He argued, "The first trial that sentenced Lee to one year in prison with a two-year probation was influenced by the judge's subjective view," and "this appeal trial ruling strictly followed Supreme Court precedents, so there is no possibility of reversal and remand if it goes to the Supreme Court." Reversal and remand means that a higher court recognizes an error in the original trial's verdict and overturns all or part of the ruling to send it back.

Regarding the claim by some members of the People Power Party that some of the three judges in the appeal trial, who belong to the progressive judges' group Uri Beop Yeonguhoe, made a biased ruling, Jeong pointed out, "The core value of conservatism is the rule of law," and said, "It is a wrong behavior for the People Power Party, a conservative party, to attack judges. Attacking judges ultimately means refusing to accept the trial." Jeong evaluated, "Since they cannot attack the message, they attack the messenger, that is, the judges," and added, "They were very competent judges who were faithful to legal logic."