Gwangju Bar Association: "Lee Jaemyung Remand Ruling Undermines Procedural Justice"

A Hasty Judgment Without Sufficient Deliberation
Damaging Judicial Trust and Inviting Suspicions of Political Intervention

The Gwangju Bar Association has strongly criticized the Supreme Court's remand decision regarding Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jaemyung.

Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jaemyung is greeting citizens at the 'Neighborhood Listening Tour' held on the 5th at Yangpyeong Mulmalgeun Market in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 6th, the Gwangju Bar Association stated in a press release, "The judiciary itself has undermined the principle of procedural justice." The association further emphasized, "The legitimacy of the judiciary does not lie in the conclusion itself, but rather in whether the process leading to that conclusion was fair and transparent." It added, "The Supreme Court's recent decision damaged the fundamental tenet of the judiciary by hastily reaching a conclusion without sufficient deliberation."

The association also criticized, "This ruling has invited suspicions that it was a targeted trial driven by political motives," and pointed out, "The unusually conducted remand trial procedures at the Seoul High Court are further raising questions."

The Gwangju Bar Association urged, "In the upcoming trials, any suspicions of political intervention must be dispelled by adhering strictly to fair procedures based solely on the Constitution and the law."