Democratic Party Protests Lee Jaemyung Case Remand: "Supreme Court Intervention in the Election"

The Supreme Court en banc overturned the original verdict in the appeal of Lee Jaemyung, the Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate, regarding his violation of the Public Official Election Act on May 1, and remanded the case to the appellate court with instructions to convict. In response, the Democratic Party criticized the decision as "Supreme Court intervention in the election."

Kim Yongmin, a member of the Democratic Party, posted on his Facebook immediately after the Supreme Court ruling, stating, "This is a time for the sovereignty of the people and for the people's choice, not for legal professionals," and added, "The Supreme Court has infringed upon the sovereignty of the people with a half-baked legal interpretation."

He further pointed out, "The people did not grant the Supreme Court the authority to decide the fate of the Republic of Korea in just nine days."

Kim Yongmin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the first meeting of the Prosecution Reform Task Force held at the National Assembly on the 21st. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

Lee Eonju, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, protested by saying, "It constitutes a 'judicial coup' to dare to go against the will of the majority of the sovereign people with an unpredictable judicial decision."

Earlier that day, the Supreme Court overturned the not-guilty verdict of the appellate court for Lee, who had been indicted for violating the Public Official Election Act, and sent the case back with instructions to convict.

As a result, Lee will have to stand trial again at the Seoul High Court. Since the Seoul High Court is bound by the Supreme Court's decision, it must deliver a guilty verdict.